No. 25 Colorado is back on the road and heading into a stretch that starts Thursday night in Ames, where the Buffaloes will meet Iowa State at 5:30 p.m. MT inside Hilton Coliseum.
The trip opens a three-match road swing for Colorado, which is looking for its fourth conference victory of the season and trying to make it four straight against the Cyclones. The Buffs have taken the last three meetings in the series, all in four sets.
Colorado comes into the match at 12-4 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 play after a dramatic reverse sweep of Kansas State in five sets. Pin attacker Ana Burilovic powered that win with 25 kills on 57 swings and a .316 hitting percentage, along with five digs, two assists and an ace. Middle blocker Cayla Payne added a big night of her own, reaching 400 career blocks with an eight-block effort and finishing with 10 kills.
The Buffs have spent every week in the AVCA-Taraflex poll this season, including the preseason ranking, and are currently No. 25.
They also bring some strong statistical markers into the matchup, sitting atop the Big 12 in blocks per set at 2.97, which ranks fifth nationally. Colorado is also third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to .176.
Thursday’s meeting is the 17th match of the season for Colorado and comes with the Buffs at 3-2 in four-set matches. They are also 4-0 in five-setters after the Kansas State comeback and 10-2 against unranked opponents.
Iowa State enters at 11-6 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12, and the Cyclones have a couple of familiar faces driving the attack from the back row and the setter spot. Junior libero Rachel Van Gorp leads the way defensively at 4.60 digs per set and has already picked up Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors three times.
Her latest award came after wins over Kansas State and Cincinnati, when she posted 21 digs and a perfect reception percentage against Cincinnati. Junior setter Ava Martin, who was named Big 12 Setter of the Week on Sept. 1, averages 7.90 assists per set.
Colorado and Iowa State have already crossed paths three times this season with the same common Big 12 results: both teams beat Arizona and Kansas State and both lost to Arizona State. The Buffs will try to keep the recent edge going when the match begins Thursday.
Christy Johnson-Lynch is in her 22nd season as Iowa State’s head coach and enters with a career record of 403-227 after 21 seasons. The Cyclones have reached the NCAA Championships in 17 of her 21 seasons.
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Colorado Fans Are Watching One Family Weekend Decision Much Closer
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Utah is still the toughest draw on the remaining home slate, which helps explain why fans are tracking the market so closely. Even so, the gap between asking prices on resale sites and the official ticket options has made this one feel a little different from the others, especially with a crowd expected to include plenty of family members and a fan base eager to see how the weekend atmosphere matches the stakes on the field. [Read more 🡒]