Colorado
4-0,0-0Big 12
Wichita State
2-2,0-0American
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita St. | 18 | 21 | 19 | 0 |
| Colorado | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Buffs Extend Undefeated Streak to 4-0
September 04, 2026 | Volleyball
BOULDER — No. 23 Colorado Buffaloes volleyball (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) swept Wichita State (2-2, 0-0 American) 25-18, 25-21, 25-19 on Friday evening at the CU Events Center.
With the win, the Buffs recorded their fourth straight three-set sweep to open the season, improving to 12-0 on sets for the year.
"I thought that was a really good game. I felt like we got better as the match went on," Head Coach Jesse Mahoney said. "Everyone contributed. So excited for where we are so far, and have two more good matches left this weekend, so we got to be ready for them."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
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Set One: Colorado jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over Wichita State after errors from the Shockers and a kill from senior MB Cayla Payne. An emphatic kill from senior PIN Ana Burilovic and a block from senior PIN Sydney Jordan extended the Buffs' lead (6-2 CU). Jordan continued to build on the lead with her first kill of the night (9-5 CU). Burilovic's third kill in the set pushed the Buffs further ahead (13-8 CU). Wichita State responded with five straight points, tying the match (13-13). An ace by Burilovic put the Buffs ahead by two before the media timeout (15-13 CU). The match remained tightly contested, Wichita State matching every Buff point before a kill from senior PIN Lily Dwinell brought the lead to three (21-18 CU). Colorado ended the set on a kill from Burilovic (25-18 CU).
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Set Two: The Shockers took a quick lead before a kill from Burilovic shifted the momentum. A block assist from Jordan and freshman MB Barbora Rakauskaite evened the score (7-7). The set remained close, with Colorado holding a 12-9 lead after a kill by Dwinell. Burilovic's seventh kill of the night put the Buffs on top (15-12 CU). Two straight aces from junior DS/L Tinons Munar Galmes increased the Buffs' lead (18-12 CU). Wichita State battled back from a six-point deficit and cut it to three points (22-19 CU). A Shockers error gave the Buffs the set (25-21 CU).
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Set Three: Colorado opened the third set trailing 3-0. The Buffs responded with six straight points (6-3 CU). The Shockers tightened the set to 12-9, but a block assist from Dwinell and Rakauskaite increased the gap (15-11 CU). A Rakauskaite kill and an error from Wichita State elevated the Buff lead before a kill from Burilovic capped off a 6-1 scoring run (21-12 CU). After the late run, a kill from sophomore PIN Ines Losada finalized the match (25-19).
"I think we just really want to start strong these two weeks because we have really great matches, really high-level volleyball games coming up, and I think we want to be as ready as possible," Munar Galmes said.
KEY PLAYERS:
Sr. S Jenna Ylivainio: Provided the Buffs with 35 assists, a season and career high, bringing her total to 125 assists this season. She concluded the night with zero errors.
Rakauskaite: Documented five blocks, 4.5 points and two digs.
Burilovic: Recorded double-digit kills (16) for the third time this season, along with reaching double-digit points (18) in all four contests.
Jordan: Notched six kills, zero errors and hit .400 with one ace.
Payne: Logged 8.5 points with six kills and five blocks.
Munar Galmes: Filed a season-high 15 digs and five assists.
MATCH NOTES:
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The win lifts Colorado to 2-1 all-time against Wichita State.
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This is the first time the opponents have matched up since Sept. 9, 2004.
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Sophomore Maria Splawska returned to the court after facing an early-season injury.
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Burilovic marked double-digit kills (16) for the third time this season and has reached double-digit points (18) in all four contests.
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The Buffs hit at .312 as opposed to the Shockers' .108.
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Colorado secured 10 blocks to Wichita State's three.
UP NEXT:
Colorado will return to the CU Events Center for day two of the Buffs Invitational to face New Mexico on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT. All Buffs Invitational matches will be streamed on ESPN+, and fans can follow along via live stats links on CUBuffs.com. Fans can purchase tickets here.
