Posts tagged Friday
Simpson Shines In CU V-Ball Debut Despite Loss To St. Mary’s
Aug 31st
BOULDER—Junior Taylor Simpson and sophomore Alexis Austin each recorded 11 kills for the University of Colorado volleyball team, but unfortunately it was not enough as the St. Mary’s College Gaels won the first match of the Omni Hotels Colorado Volleyball Classic on Friday night 25-17, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19.
Simpson made her CU debut in the match and took 36 swings to lead the team. She also added six digs and a pair of block assists. Austin added two digs and three block assists in the effort.
Taylor Simpson
“I think that Taylor carried a big load for us tonight,” coach Liz Kritza said. “I think that what she is going to learn as we continue through the season is that the more points you’re getting on the offensive side, the more serve-reception balls you’ll have to handle. That’s because other teams are constantly going to try to load our front-row outsides. I’m pleased, because she is a nice addition to the program, and I only look for her to continue improving.”
Alexis Austin catches some major air
Returning to CU’s line-up on Friday night was redshirt senior Kerra Schroeder who led the team defensively with 10 digs. She added a pair of kills and one block assist in her return.
“Kerra played in multiple positions tonight,” Kritza said. “She’s okay with that, because this isn’t about any individual player’s performance—it’s about the overall win-loss. I like being able to talk about that openly with players, because they know that we all want the same thing.”
Senior Nikki Lindow had nine kills and hit .312 for the Buffs. She also led the team with five block assists. Junior Kelsey English added seven kills and three block assists on the night. Freshman Joslyn Hayes had a nice debut for the Buffs as she hit .333 with five kills in her first career start.
“Hayes, as a freshman, was pretty productive,” Kritza said. “The thing with her is that I have to remember that she is still a freshman. There are some limitations right now until she gets more repetition. She contributed at a high pace.”
In total, the Buffs recorded 48 kills, 44 digs and 9.0 team blocks, while hitting .246. The Gaels put together 53 kills, 53 digs, 11.0 team blocks and hit .246.
SMC was led by Jordan Shaw who hammered 14 kills and hit .370. Kristina Graven added 12 kills and 11 digs for SMC. The Gaels, a 2012 NCAA Tournament Team, received votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing the 2012 season with an 18-11 overall record.
“They [St. Mary’s] were a lot more stable on their first contacts; that’s the story of the match,” Kritza explained. “We knew going in that the team who could win the serve-pass game would win, especially early in the season. This is a good team; they are organized, and they don’t make a ton of errors, as evidenced by being able to withstand some of our runs tonight. For us, there are a lot of really good things, lots of positives. Clearly, we’re disappointed, because we wanted to be able to have a more consistent group of our plays. For us, this is the beginning of a very long season that we know is going to be very productive.”
The Buffs got off to a great start in the first set, taking a 5-1 lead. The Gaels rallied back to tie the set up at 7-7. The set was close until CU was up 12-11; and at that point SMC put together a 10-0 run to take a 21-12 advantage. The Buffs kept attacking, but weren’t able to close the gap as the Gaels won 25-17.
The second set also started out well for CU and the Buffs had a 5-4 lead before SMC took three straight points to take a 7-5 lead. CU came back and tied the game at 8-8, but at that point the Gaels recorded six of seven points to go up 14-9. The Buffs didn’t let up, but unfortunately couldn’t get back in the set and fell 25-16.
The third set was another close one with 10 ties. Neither team had more than a three-point lead at any point during the game. The Buffs used a 5-0 run to take a 22-20 lead over the Gaels, forcing SMC to use a timeout. CU took the first point out of the time out to take a three-point lead at 23-20. The Buffs had set point at 24-21 thanks to a kill from Austin, but SMC fought off the first set point (24-22). The Buffs finished the set with a kill from Simpson on the following point (25-22).
The Buffs and Gaels played a tight fourth game until SMC took a five-point lead at 14-9. The Gaels extended their lead to eight points at 20-12, forcing the Buffs to use a timeout. The Buffs took the following three points out of the break, but it wasn’t enough as they dropped the fourth set 25-19.
Colorado and St. Mary’s will square off again on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the final match of the Omni Hotels Colorado Volleyball Classic. Early arriving fans will receive mini-volleyballs, courtesy of the Omni Hotels.
“The beauty of this type of double-header is that you can measure yourself; it’s virtually the same team,” Kritza said. “You can actually learn how to scout opponents; you can learn to come back. I think it’s very important for us, especially in nonconference play, to have a test like this at the very beginning.”
COLORADO BUFFALOES
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CU Buffs Women’s Soccer Faces Falcons, Gaels In Second Weekend
Aug 29th
QUICKLY: The University of Colorado soccer team looks to continue its hot start to the season against Air Force and St. Mary’s. The Buffs open the weekend against their third straight in-state opponent, taking on the Falcons at 5 p.m. on Friday. They conclude a three-game home-stand at 1 p.m. on Sunday against the Gaels. In the opening weekend, CU recorded back-to-back shutouts against Northern Colorado and Colorado College in the third annual Colorado Cup.
Falcon soccer player Rhett Chase
COLORADO VS. AIR FORCE: The Buffs hold a 4-1 lead over the Falcons. CU’s lone loss was a 1-0 defeat in the Buffs’ first season (1996). After an eight season series hiatus, the in-state opponents resumed play last season, with the Buffs winning 2-0. Three of the Buffs’ four wins over AFA have been shutouts.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS: The Falcons are off to a 1-0-1 start, tying Montana 1-1 and falling 2-1 to TCU at the Montana Kickoff Invitational. Air Force returns six starters from last year’s squad that scored 12 goals and went 5-9-3 (0-7 Mountain West). The Falcons lost Stephanie Patterson, who scored five goals in her final season, but welcome 12 newcomers. AFA’s two goals this season have come off of just three shots by freshman Noelle Heiser and junior Kylie Williamson.
COLORADO VS. ST. MARY’S: The Buffs and Gaels have met just once, in 2009. The 8-1 CU victory was a record breaker. Nikki Marshall scored four goals (tying her own record for most goals scored in a single game) and Kelly Butler scored two. The eight total goals are the most the Buffs have scored in a single game and the 19 total points ranks second. The 28 shots ties for fifth on the single game list. CU also scored off an own goal for only the second time in program history.
SCOUTING THE GAELS: The Gaels enter the weekend with a 1-1 record after defeating Grand Canyon 3-0 and falling to No. 11 San Diego State 1-0. SMC returns eight starters from last year’s squad, including All-West Coast Conference honorable mentions Melinda Madden and Vicki Shimkus (last year’s leading scorer) and Canada Word Cup U-19 member Caroline Beauline. The Gaels posted a 6-12-2 (1-7 WCC) record in 2012.
PEDAL TO PRENTUP: Make a healthy and environmentally friendly trip to Prentup Field on Friday, Aug. 30 to watch CU take on Air Force at 5 p.m. The first 200 fans who bike to Prentup will receive a free CU T-shirt. Admission is free, though fans can make a $5 donation to the Buff Club to show their support for the team, so grab your family and friends for a bike ride to Prentup Field.
FAMILIAR FACES: Santa Clara transfer Brooke Rice will face former West Coast Conference opponent Saint Mary’s on Sunday. Rice played in 26 games in two seasons at Santa Clara.
LAST WEEK: The Buffs opened the 2013 season with the third annual Colorado Cup. In the opening game against Northern Colorado, the Buffs shut out the Bears 3-0 for the third straight year. In seven meetings between the two teams, the Buffs have never lost, much less given up a goal. It took just over 33 minutes into the game for freshman Brie Hooks to score her first goal as a Buff, and then just another 45 to score again, this time off an assist from Darcy Jerman. The Buffs’ other goal came off an own goal, marking just the fifth own goal in program history. On Sunday, Hooks once again led the Buffs to victory, scoring off an Anne Stuller assist, to defeat Colorado College 1-0.
TIEBREAKER: Colorado and Denver both concluded the Colorado Cup with two wins and an equal goal differential. Though Denver allowed one goal and Colorado allowed zero, Denver took home the title by scoring one more goal than the Buffs. Despite losing the trophy, the Buffs have two titles under their belts and have remained undefeated through six games in three Cups.
HOOKS, LINE AND SINKER: In her first two games as a Buff, freshman Brie Hooks has already scored three goals. Against UNC, Hooks became the first player in program history to have a multi-goal performance in her Colorado debut. Other Buffs to reach similar milestones are Katie Griffin, who scored two goals in her second game at CU in 2003 and Nikki Marshall, who netted four in just her third game in 2006. Hooks followed up her fabulous introduction by hitting the lone goal and game-winner against CC. Her impressive opening weekend helped her to CU’s first Athlete of the Week honors of 2013.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: A record crowd showed their support for the Buffs in the home opener on Sunday. 1,364 fans were in attendance for the final games of the Colorado Cup, breaking into the 10th spot on CU’s all-time crowds at Prentup Field. This is the second Colorado Cup game to rank in the top 10. CU’s battle against Northern Colorado on August 21, 2011 in the inaugural Cup drew 1,911 fans, ranking fourth all time at Prentup.
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CU Shuts Out Colorado College 1-0 In Final Game of Colorado Cup
Aug 25th
BOULDER – The University of Colorado soccer team recorded back-to-back shutouts in its opening weekend, taking down Colorado College 1-0 in the final game of Colorado Cup.
Through six games in the three years of the Cup, CU has remained undefeated. For the third year running, CU defeated Northern Colorado 3-0, and this season marked the Buffaloes’ third straight shutout of the CC Tigers in as many Cups. The Buffs have not lost to the Tigers since 1997.
Through six games in the three years of the Cup, CU has remained undefeated. For the third year running, CU defeated Northern Colorado 3-0, and this season marked the Buffaloes’ third straight shutout of the CC Tigers in as many Cups. The Buffs have not lost to the Tigers since 1997.
In the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader at Prentup Field, Denver defeated UNC 3-0. Denver beat CC 2-1 on Friday, making the Pioneers and Buffs tied in the weekend win column. Since both teams won two games, and had an equal goal differential (five goals forced and one allowed for Denver, four goals scored and zero allowed for Colorado), goals scored worked as the tiebreaker, giving the Pioneers their first Cup trophy.
“We’ll take the win any day of the week,” CU head coach Danny Sanchez said. “I’m really pleased with how the players battled today. They got the result at the end of the day, so it was a good win for us for sure.”
Freshman sensation Brie Hooks scored the game winning goal
Freshman Brie Hooks continued her stellar debut weekend, scoring off an Anne Stuller assist in the 53rd minute to lead the Buffs to victory. In the Buffs’ first two games of the season, Hooks has already scored three goals.
“It’s exciting,” Hooks said. “It’s not really something I expected, I guess, but to go out there and get three goals in the first two games is a good way to show that I can do what I can out there on the field. It was a good feeling.”
The Buffs dominated the offense from the opening minutes, outshooting the Tigers 21-5, though only sending five more on goal (8-3).
Colorado got a shot off early, with Darcy Jerman getting blocked in the fifth minute. Less than four minutes later, Anne Stuller, who led the Buffs with six shots, sent one wide. It took until the 10th minute for CC to take their first shot, sending one right at Annie Brunner.
The Buffs looked set to score in the 12th minute when Brooke Rice got the ball to Hayley Hughes who found Olivia Pappalardo at the net to drive one in, but the goal was called off due to an offsides ruling.
In just over a minute span, Stuller took two more shots, first forcing CC keeper Kate Scheele to come up with her first of seven saves, and then being stopped short by a block. Hayley Hughes kept the momentum going, sending one high in the 18th minute. Five minutes later, she came up big defensively, forcing a turnover, then taking it to the other side where she slammed one towards the net before being blocked.
From the 24th minute to the 34th, CU took five more shots, coming from Madison Krauser, Brie Hooks, Jerman and Bianca Jones. The Buffs were strong on the attack, but CC remained strong on defense, keeping the game scoreless at the half.
It took just two minutes into the second half for the Tigers to shoot, but the ball went high. Colorado responded by quickly taking over on an offensive drive. At the 52:50 mark, Hooks was hungry for more, sending one to the back of the net off a Stuller assist.
“Well we were going out, and the ball got wide, and honestly I wasn’t trying to shoot at all,” Hooks said. “I was trying to keep it in. I got my hips around it and it happened to go in. It worked out in my favor I guess … Everyone has the goals that they’re not trying to score, but in tight games like that it’s good to get an early one. It felt good.”
The Buffs continued to make Scheele work at the net. In the 58th minute, Emily Paxton sent one towards the goal. CU didn’t get its first corner kick until the 62nd minute, with Carly Bolyard shooting it towards the net. After several touches by the Buffs, Pappalardo made Scheele dive for the save. Less than a minute later, Paxton was at it again, making Scheele grab her third save in just five minutes.
Sarah Scheweiss was a force for the Tigers, leading the squad with three shots. In the 69th minute, she went on the run from the midfield, and approached the net with only a few defenders in her way, but Brunner was ready to claim the save.
In the final twenty minutes, Colorado remained strong at both ends of the ball. Krauser took two more of her three total shots, sending one wide, then high. Stuller kept the pressure, sending one at the keeper with under 10 remaining.
Colorado had a close call with just over six minutes remaining, with CC taking a free kick that got the ball to the net. After a few quick touches, Jessie Ayers got the ball, but fumbled and couldn’t get the shot. The Buffs reclaimed possession, playing tough until the closing seconds, with Stuller leading a drive in the 88th minute.
After 90 minutes, Hooks’ “dangerous,” but “fortunate” ball and the Buffs’ experienced backline were the determining factors in the win.
“Our defense – led by Lizzy (Herzl) and Heather (Ward) and Bianca (Jones), and Hayley (Hughes) also – all four of them were rock solid all day,” Sanchez said. “I’m pleased with that. We need to be better on the attack; we talked about that on Friday as well, but at the end of it, a good result for us.”
The Buffs continue their home-stand with more in-state competition, hosting Air Force on Friday.
“Air Force went out to a tournament this weekend and had a draw and then lost to a Big 12 team 2-1, so they’re much improved,” Sanchez said. “We know that when teams come to Prentup, they’re going to bring their ‘A’ game. Last year we won 2-0, but it didn’t feel like a 2-0 game. It was a bit scrappy. We need better quality. And obviously, St. Mary’s out of the West Coast Conference is a very good team. It’s a big weekend for us, but we’re glad to be home.”
Make a healthy and environmentally friendly trip to Prentup Field on Friday, Aug. 30 to watch CU soccer take on Air Force at 5 p.m. The first 200 fans who bike to Prentup will receive a free CU T-shirt. Admission is free, though fans can make a $5 donation to the Buff Club to show their support for the team, so grab your family and friends for a bike ride to Prentup Field.
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Marlee Horn Graduate Assistant SID University of Colorado
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