Kaitlyn Burkett, a senior setter, dives for a ball Wednesday against the Kansas State Wildcats. (CU Independent/Ilana Finer)
At least they aren’t winless in the Big 12 Conference.
The Colorado Buffaloes finished the first half of their Big 12 schedule 1-9 as they fell to the Kansas State Wildcats in four sets (25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 25-17) Wednesday at the Coors Events Center.
CU and Kansas State split the first two sets, but the chance for a second Big 12 win unraveled for CU in the third set.
The Buffs jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Wildcats fought back and closed to within one at 13-12. When Kansas State finally took the lead at 19-18, they never looked back as it propelled them to a 25-21 third-set win.
“We lost that lead, and that’s something we need to capitalize on in the future,” sophomore outside hitter Rosie Steinhaus said in a news release.
Rosie Steinhaus, sophomore outside hitter, spikes the ball Wednesday against the Kansas State Wildcats. (CU Independent/Ilana Finer)
The momentum carried over as Kansas State committed only three errors compared to the Buffs’ 10 in the easy fourth-set win for the Wildcats.
“Tonight’s match was a tough one for us, not only because of the disappointing loss, but because we were very inconsistent,” CU head coach Liz Kritza said in a news release. “It felt like there were moments of very high level of play and also moments where we were playing below our level.”
CU will head to Austin, Texas on Saturday to take on the second-ranked and undefeated Texas Longhorns at 3 p.m. Texas swept the Buffs in three sets on Sept. 23 at the Coors Events Center.
Contact CU Independent Co-Sports Editor Cheng Sio at Cheng.sio@colorado.edu.
