Buffs drop to 0-3 in conference play
The CU volleyball team lost to Kansas State Saturday night after another competitive five-game match.
Saturday’s match marks the fifth time this season that the Buffs have lost after five games.
“Obviously we have a team here, but we can break down mentally,” said Schylur Edelman, a freshman marketing major and middle blocker for the Buffs.
Buffs Head Coach Pi’i Aiu spoke on the difficulties of the five-game match.
CU vs. K-State
24-30, 30-24, 30-27, 27-30, 12-15
“Most of our problems right now are mental, just in terms of confidence. It’s so hard to recreate a five-game match in practice,” Aiu said.
The team wants to stay positive despite their close losses, but that can sometimes be a challenge.
“I definitely think a close match effects you more than when you just get hammered,” Aiu said.
The Buffs are looking forward to finishing a five-game match with a better 15-point game, a part of their play they know they can improve.
Losing momentum in the fifth game has been one of their biggest problem areas in close matches such as Saturday’s match against Kansas State.
“One thing we talked about is working on our 15-point games in practice, just like we had just played a match. A lot of us are losing confidence right at 10 points in those games,” said junior marketing major and right-side hitter Alex Buth.
Buth is emerging as a leader on the team, posting 21 kills against Kansas State. CU also named her Athlete of the Week for her performance against Texas Tech.
In addition to Buth’s competitive performance, the Buffs also posted a unusually high total of 18 team blocks.
“We’ve really focused on our blocks and our technique. When our block is strong, it allows the defense to play around us more easily,” Edelman said.
Although CU is now 5-6 on the season, Aiu is seeing progress in his team.
“Our blocking numbers were a lot better. I think we played a pretty complete game tonight,” Aiu said.
The five-game match against Kansas State was a confidence builder for the Buffs, who were disheartened after their loss to Baylor on Wednesday.
However, CU remains positive for their road trip to Oklahoma and Texas for matches next week.
The Buffs feel they can be competitive with any team in the Big 12, especially if they can finish a match with confidence.
“It was in our hands. We just have to grab it next time. We deserve a win. It was a better feeling than the Baylor game. We definitely had a positive improvement in our attitudes,” Buth said.
CU’s next home match will be Oct. 3 against Missouri.
Contact Staff Writer Amanda Walck at amanda.walck@colorado.edu.
