Colorado volleyball is back in Boulder with some momentum and a trophy on the line.
No. 17 Colorado, still unbeaten at 8-0, opens a home-and-home set against Colorado State on Thursday night in the Battle for the Golden Spike before heading to Fort Collins for the rematch on Friday. The Buffs are trying to bring the trophy back to Boulder after the in-state rivals have played this series every year since 2019, with 2020 the lone exception.
The first match is set for Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. MT in Boulder, with the return trip coming Friday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.
MT in Fort Collins. Colorado enters the week with a 19-30 series record and a three-match losing streak against the Rams.
The last meeting came in Boulder on Sept. 19, 2025, when Colorado State won 3-1.
Colorado’s ranking climbed sharply after Sunday’s win over No. 16 USC.
The Buffs jumped six spots in the AVCA-Taraflex Division I poll, the biggest move in the NCAA, and now sit 17th nationally. They are one of only two undefeated Big 12 teams, alongside Kansas State, and one of 11 unbeaten teams left in the NCAA.
That USC win was one of the cleanest statements Colorado has made so far. The Buffs took the match in four sets and rolled 25-13 in the third. It followed a three-set road win over Oregon State and kept Colorado perfect heading into a rivalry week that will test them twice in 24 hours.
The numbers behind the start are hard to miss. Colorado leads the Big 12 in blocks per set at 3.38 and ranks second in the league in hitting percentage at .278.
Senior middle blocker Cayla Payne has been a force at the net, ranking No. 12 nationally in blocks per set at 1.55. She’s also fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .379, third in blocks per set and second in total blocks with 45.
Ana Burilovic has been just as important on the outside. She ranks fifth in the Big 12 in kills per set at 4.17, third in service aces per set at 0.59 and third in points per set at 5.16.
Senior setter Jenna Ylivainio is second in the conference in total assists with 284 and fourth in assists per set at 9.79, while freshman middle blocker Barbora Rakauskaite is fifth in blocks per set at 1.44. Junior libero Tinons Munar Galmes also shows up in the Big 12 rankings in digs.
Against USC, several Buffs added to the profile. Sydney Jordan put together a season-high 11 kills and hit .429.
Ylivainio matched her career high with three kills while also finishing with 35 assists and five blocks. That performance earned her a spot on the Big 12 Starting Seven on Tuesday.
Colorado’s lineup also comes with some milestone watch items as the team heads into the rivalry series. Burilovic had 26 kills over the weekend and now has 1,182 career kills at Colorado, tying Monique Gerlach for fifth in program history during the rally-score era. She also owns 3,110 career attacks, good for fifth in CU history during that era, and needs 42 more attacks to pass Maya Tabron for fourth.
Lily Dwinell is closing in on two career marks of her own. She has 727 kills and 290 blocks, putting her within reach of 750 kills and 300 blocks.
Colorado State arrives with its own standout. Junior setter Erin Debiec, who earned Pac-12 Setter of the Week, averages 10.62 assists per game. Emily Kohan is in her 11th season on the Colorado State coaching staff and her fourth as head coach.
The Rams and Buffs have met 49 times from 1987 to 2025, and this week adds another chapter to that long-running series. Colorado will have the first shot at home before the battle shifts north a day later.
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