CU volleyball head coach Liz Kritza said she sees a pending good matchup for her team.
“I know our records are similar,” Kritza said of rival Kansas State, “although they have been successful in the past, this is a rebuilding year for them, and it will be a competitive match.”
The CU volleyball team may have a low record (6-12, 1-8 in the Big 12 Conference), but players say their spirit is high. They host Kansas State (7-11, 1-7 Big 12) Wednesday at the Coors Events Center.
Kritza said focusing on continual improvement is how they are keeping their morale up.
Junior middle blocker Schylur Edelman also said Kansas State will be a good match-up because CU’s fast offense will spread KSU’s bigger players out.
When asked about the team’s weak points, Kritza said it’s all about consistency.
“Consistency, I know it is one thing they have struggled with — that is what we need to focus on,” Kritza said. “There have been moments where we have played high-level volleyball, and there are other moments where we make errors. We can’t compete with those errors.”
Edelman said she agrees the team needs to be more consistent with their play.
“Our biggest challenge is playing at a high level consistently, it’s our biggest problem,” Edelman said. “We will have a really good play followed by a bad play. We are very up and down.”
The Buffs say they are proud of their strengths, with a major one being team balance.
“Not one person carries the team,” Edelman said. “If I am not having a good night, then the other girls will have a good night.”
Kritza said the team is very supportive.
“We have a better performance team-wise,” Kritza said. “We don’t just rely on one or two people.”
Recently, the team added a new player to this well-balanced squad in junior outside hitter Katie Evanyo.
Kritza said it is unorthodox to have a new player brought in at this point in the season, but she has brought experience to the team. As far as getting mixed in with the other players, Evanyo hasn’t had any problems.
“She got in the mix quickly at practice and it was apparent she was going to contribute,” Kritza said.
So far, Evanyo has been a positive addition for her new teammates, they say.
“Katie is great to have around, really positive, outgoing, great connection immediately,” Edelman said. “She added depth to our roster and a great new vibe.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Gina Yocom at Gina.yocom@colorado.edu.
