Colorado
Iowa State
Buffs Face Iowa State In First of Three Road Matches
October 14, 2026 | Volleyball
AMES, Iowa — After a quick visit home, No. 25 Colorado gets back on the road for three away matches, starting with Iowa State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. MT at Hilton Coliseum.
Colorado is seeking its fourth conference win this season and a fourth straight win against the Cyclones.Â
In their most recent match, the Buffs reverse-swept Kansas State in a thrilling five-set contest, led by pin attacker Ana Burilovic and middle blocker Cayla Payne.Â
Burilovic secured 25 kills on 57 attempts, hitting at a .316 clip, while adding five digs, two assists and an ace. Payne notched 400 career blocks, tallying eight on the night, and added 10 kills to her stat line.Â
MATCH #17 - Thursday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m.MT
No. 25 Colorado (12-4, 3-3 Big 12) vs. Iowa State (11-6, 5-1 Big 12)
SERIES RECORD: 42-17
LAST MEETING: 3-1 win (Oct. 25, 2025 — Boulder, Colo.)
STREAK: W3
OPPONENT WEBSITE: https://cyclones.com/
WATCH: ESPN+
FIRST SERVE:
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Colorado is ranked 25th in the AVCA-Taraflex poll. The team has been ranked every week this season, including in the preseason poll.
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Colorado has won the last three matches against Iowa State in four sets. CU is 3-2 in four-set matches this season.Â
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The Buffs and the Cyclones have three common matchups in the Big 12 so far this season. Both Colorado and Iowa State defeated Arizona and Kansas State, while dropping matches to Arizona State.Â
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CU leads the Big 12 in blocks per set, averaging 2.97, good for fifth in the NCAA. The Buffaloes are also third in the Big 12 for opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to a .176 mark.Â
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After the win against Kansas State, Colorado is 4-0 in five set matches this season, and 10-2 against unranked opponents.
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Pin attacker Ines Losada has tallied five service aces three times this season, the last time being against Kansas State. This is the most aces recorded by an individual in a single match this season. Defensive specialist Avery Bolles has accomplished this one time this season, as well.Â
CIRCLING THE CYCLONES: Iowa State is led by junior libero Rachel Van Gorp and junior setter Ava Martin. Averaging 4.60 digs per set, Van Gorp has been named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on three separate occasions. She earned the award this past week after wins against Kansas State and Cincinnati. Van Gorp recorded 21 digs and a perfect reception percentage against Cincinnati. Martin was named Big 12 Setter of the Week on Sept. 1. She averages 7.90 assists per set. Christy Johnson-Lynch is in her 22nd year as head coach at Iowa State. She holds a career record of 403-227 after 21 seasons. The Cyclones have made it to the NCAA Championships in 17 of her 21 seasons.Â
ROAM WITH THE BUFFS: The match against Iowa State will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can also follow Colorado matches through live stats available at CUBuffs.com. For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok.
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