No. 21 Colorado opens Big 12 play on Friday night with Utah coming to Boulder, and the Buffs will do it in front of a home crowd at the CU Events Center at 7 p.m.
Colorado enters conference action at 9-1, while Utah comes in at 8-3. It’s the 35th meeting between the programs, and the Buffs have taken the last two. At home, Colorado has been especially strong against the Utes, owning a 12-5 record in Boulder.
The Buffs are coming off a home-and-home against Colorado State, splitting the series by winning at home before dropping the rematch in Fort Collins. That home date with the Rams also drew Colorado’s largest CU Events Center crowd since 2023.
Friday’s matchup also marks a team that’s been efficient on both ends of the floor. Colorado ranks second nationally in blocks per set at 3.25 and fifth in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to .139. Those numbers lead the Big 12 on both fronts.
A few Buffs are already making noise on the league’s stat boards. Senior pin attacker Ana Burilovic is fifth in kills per set at 4.36, fifth in service aces per set at 0.47 and third in points per set at 5.22.
Senior setter Jenna Ylivainio is fourth in assists per set at 10.11. At the net, senior middle blocker Cayla Payne ranks third in blocks per set at 1.47, while freshman middle blocker Barbora Rakauskaite is sixth at 1.32.
Burilovic and Ylivainio also delivered big numbers last week. Ylivainio posted 50 assists and 13 digs against Colorado State on Sept. 17, while Burilovic put together back-to-back double-doubles with 22 kills and 10 digs on Thursday and 14 kills and 10 digs on Friday.
Colorado was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 before the season, and in 2025 the Buffs put together a 12-6 conference mark.
The Utes will be led by senior outside hitter Kamryn Gibadlo, who has 144 kills this season and is averaging 3.89 per set. Utah is under first-year head coach Alyssa D’Errico, who spent the previous three seasons as associate head coach.
Colorado also carries a few milestone chases into the opener. Senior pin attacker Lily Dwinell is three kills shy of 750 and four blocks away from 300 in her career. Senior pin attacker Sydney Jordan needs 14 blocks to reach 100, and senior defensive specialist/libero Peyton Neal is 20 digs from 1,000.
The match will air on ESPN+, and live stats will be available at CUBuffs.com.
In Other News...
Colorado Faces Immediate Lineup Uncertainty In Crucial Big 12 Opener
Colorado heads into its Big 12 opener against Baylor with the kind of injury report that can reshape a game plan before kickoff. The Buffaloes have already ruled out wide receiver Danny Scudero and offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter, two absences that thin out both the pass-catching group and the protection in front of the quarterback.
There are still more questions than answers around the rest of the roster, with tight end Charlie Williams and running back Damian Henderson among those listed as doubtful. The report leaves Colorado juggling lineup decisions at a time when the first conference game carries real early-season weight, and the final picture may not come into focus until much closer to game time. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Could Look Very Different For Its Big 12 Opener
Colorados first three games have already offered a little of everything, from a road upset at Georgia Tech to a reality check against Northwestern, and now the Buffaloes turn the page to their Big 12 opener against Baylor. The matchup comes with a different kind of challenge, too, because Baylor could look very different by then if several key players are back from injury, which would change the complexion of a game Colorado badly wants to steady after last week.
Julian Lewis was blunt about the need to clean things up after throwing two interceptions in the loss to Northwestern, and the Buffaloes will need that kind of response if they are going to reset the tone of their season. Baylors potential return of key pieces, including quarterback DJ Lagway, adds another layer to a conference opener that already feels like an early test of how quickly Colorado can recover from its first setback. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Needs One Transfer Receiver To Deliver Before Big 12 Play
Colorados passing game has spent the early part of the season searching for answers, especially against Power 4 opponents where the offense has not consistently found traction. Deion Sanders has made it clear the issues go beyond one game or one player, pointing to route running and consistency as areas where the receiving room has to clean things up, even as injuries have thinned the group and added more pressure to a young quarterback room led by Julian Lewis.
As Big 12 play approaches, the Buffs are still waiting on a transfer receiver to become the steady option the offense can lean on. Kam Perry is among the players Sanders has singled out as needing to sharpen the details, and Colorados hopes of getting the passing attack on track may depend on one of those newcomers turning promise into reliability before the schedule stiffens again. [Read more 🡒]