Colorado
8-0,0-0Big 12
USC
3-3,0-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 26 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 3 |
| Southern California | 24 | 25 | 13 | 24 | 1 |
Buffs Power Through Four Sets, Upset Southern California
September 12, 2026 | Volleyball
LOS ANGELES — In their first ranked contest of the season, No. 23 Colorado put on a dominant display and took down No. 16 USC (26-24, 23-25, 25-13, 26-24) on Saturday night at the Galen Center, moving the Buffs to 8-0 on the season.
"Really proud of our team. That was a ranked opponent on the road and I was really happy with the way we started the match, the way we responded when put under pressure," Head Coach Jesse Mahoney said. "I thought we played with a lot of poise. Our players did a really nice job of following the game plan and made some clutch plays at the end."
The contest marks the first-ever win at the Galen Center in Colorado volleyball history.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One: The set was competitive early as the Trojans found the first run, securing three-straight points before CU capitalized on two USC errors and went on a 6-0 run of its own. Throughout the scoring streak, senior pin attacker Sydney Jordan secured two kills and junior defensive specialist Katie Salonga tallied an ace (9-7 CU).
Colorado refused to let USC pull ahead, responding to Trojan points with blocks from senior PIN Ana Burilovic, senior setter Jenna Ylivanio and additional points from senior middle blocker Cayla Payne (14-14).
The teams battled through extensive rallies, as a dominant kill from senior PIN Lily Dwinell pushed the Buffs ahead (20-18 CU). Just as the Trojans came within reach of the first set, a kill from junior MB Maria Splawska and two consecutive USC errors tied the contest (23-23).
A Burilovic kill and a block from Payne and Ylivainio gave the Buffs the first set (26-24 CU).
Set Two: Despite offensive efforts from Colorado, Southern California led the majority of the second set. The Buffs faced their biggest deficit of the match, trailing by four points, before a fourth Jordan kill closed in on the Trojan lead (10-7 USC). CU capped off a 3-0 run with back-to-back block assists from Payne and Dwinell (11-10 USC).
The Trojans held onto their advantage, finding a four point lead, but Colorado extinguished their run with a 3-0 response as Jordan tabbed two kills, both assisted by Ylivainio (18-17 USC). The Buffs kept their composure despite a Trojan lead and answered with two consecutive points before USC claimed the second set (25-23 USC).
Set Three: With junior libero Tinons Munar Galmes behind the service line, Colorado took the first seven points of the set, with kills coming from a trio of seniors in Burilovic, Dwinell and Payne (7-0 CU). Colorado amped up the intensity, securing four more points with blocks from Payne, Burilovic and Ylivainio, and an eighth Burilovic kill (11-4 CU).
A Ylivanio service ace gave the Buffaloes the largest lead of the contest, entering the media timeout up nine (15-6 CU). Colorado generated an additional 3-0 run, sparked by Dwinell's eighth kill of the evening (18-8 CU).
The Buffs laid down an offensive hammer, recording three additional kills, two coming from Burilovic, to extend the Colorado lead (23-11 CU). Ylivainio's first solo block of the match gave the Black and Gold their final point of the third (25-13 CU).
Set Four: The senior Buffs connected on the court with kills from Dwinell, Burilovic, Payne and Jordan, all assisted by Ylivainio, powering Colorado to an early lead (5-3 CU). Consecutive kills assisted by Ylivanio kept Colorado in the lead, giving the setter her 30th assist for the seventh-straight contest (7-6 CU).
The teams exchanged points, tying the set on four separate occasions until a kill from Jordan and a Dwinell block gave the Buffs a slight edge (17-15 CU). After a solo block from Ylivainio put Colorado in set point, an additional solo block from Jordan closed out the match, giving Colorado the upset (26-24 CU).
MAHONEY ON HIS SENIOR-LED SQUAD: "We're a veteran team that did a lot of good things last year, but it's good for us to see that hard work pay off, and understand that there's not a match this season that we're not going to be in a position to win."
KEY PLAYERS:
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Jordan: Reached a season-high 11 kills, hitting .429, while adding two blocks.
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Burilovic: Recorded 15 kills, two blocks and an ace.
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Dwinell: Added 12 kills and four blocks, totaling 14.5 points.
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Payne: Contributed seven kills and seven blocks.
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Ylivainio: Tallied 35 assists, while putting up five blocks and tying her season-most kills (3).
MATCH NOTES:
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This marks the first-ever win at the Galen Center in Colorado volleyball history.
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Three players reached double-digit kills for just the second time this season.
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Of the matches that have gone beyond three sets this season, Colorado has won the fourth set by the most points in each contest.
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Colorado has gone into extra points five times this season, two coming from tonight's match.
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Burilovic, Dwinell and Jordan all recorded double-digit kills during the fourth set of the contest.
UP NEXT: The Buffs return home for the battle for the Golden Spike, where they will face-off against in-state rival Colorado State on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the CU Events Center. Fans can purchase tickets here. The match will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can follow along via live stats links on CUBuffs.com.
