Liz Kritza didn’t have to wait long for her first win at Colorado.
In Kritza’s debut as CU’s head coach, the Buffs (1-0) swept Valparaiso in three sets, 31-29, 25-22, 25-21, at the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational on Friday in Gainesville, Fla.
In the first set, the Crusaders went on a 6-0 run to take a 12-9 lead but the Buffs stayed close and outlasted Valpo to win the first set. In the second set, CU blew a 16-10 lead and allowed the Crusaders to even it up at 22. However, the young Buffs showed their toughness and scored the last three points to go up 2-0. It was déjà vu in the next set as the two clubs were tied at 21, but the Buffs finished it off with four straight points for the win.
“The good thing about this victory is that this is our first and it really sets the tone for this season,” Kritza said to www.cubuffs.com. “But there is so much that we can improve.”
Two players who showed improvement already are sophomore Becah Fogle and freshman Kerra Schroeder. The pair of outside hitters recorded 29 kills.
CU will look to double its win total Saturday when they take on the host of the tournament, No. 8 Florida.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Cheng Sio at Cheng.Sio@colorado.edu.
