Buff spikers dominate Cincinnati to start Colorado Invitational on a positive note
The Buffs took the Cincinnati Bearcats by storm in the first match of the Colorado Invitational on Sept. 7, outplaying the Bearcats to a final score of 30-24, 32-30, 30-20.
After a rough start to their season in Hawaii- when they went 0-3 in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic- the Buffs returned to their home court ready to play hard.
And that they did.
The Buffs won all three games, the first and third games by a margin of at least six. The Buff’s high scorers for the match were Lauren Schaefer and Amber Sutherland. The Buffs went into the game with the drive to win.
“I was just fired up to make a change and do better,” said Lauren Schaefer, middle blocker for the Buffs.
Game one was punctuated by big plays. Game two had the teams neck and neck. Game three had the Buffs taking the lead early in the game and never letting go.
“Our biggest strategy was to just take care of the ball on our side and take smart swings,” said Pi’i Aiu, CU volleyball coach.
Cincinnati went into the tournament with a game plan that Aiu tried to match.
“We worked on some of the things that they do that we don’t see very often,” said Aiu. “We also just look at the things we did that cost us those games [in Hawaii] and we fix them.”
The players were excited to engage with the strategy and show the Bearcats what they are made of.
“I look every game to come out there and do our best try and get that win and we’ll do everything and anything to get that,” said Amber Sutherland, an outside hitter for the Buffs. “We learned a lot in Hawaii and we came back ready to take care of business.”
The Buffs, with an overall record of 2-3, continue the Colorado Invitational on Sept. 8 against Southern Mississippi.
