The University of Colorado women’s volleyball team had a long, hard-fought night at the Crowne Plaza Fullerton Titan Classic.
First up was the University of Montana. CU came out with the win in five sets 21-25, 29-27, 25-14, 19-25 and 18-16. Later in the night, the Buffs faced Cal State, Fullerton and fell in three hotly-contested sets 25-23, 25-22, 25-21.
The Buffs are now 3-3 on the season.
Sophomore outside hitter Kerra Schroeder recorded 20 or more kills against the University of Montana Grizzlies for the second consecutive match and also earned her first double-double of the season with 20 kills and 15 digs.
Freshman libero/defensive specialist Megan Beckwith led the team defensively with 30 digs, becoming the first Buffalo since 2007 to reach that mark.
CU also picked up 100 team digs in the match for the first time since 2000.
Despite their loss against CSUF, Schroeder was once again on top of her game. She and teammate junior middle blocker Anicia Santos recorded 10 kills and were named to the all-tournament team.
“Schroeder and Santos being recognized for their play this weekend is positive, and well deserved, but they both recognize that the sustainable success lies in the strength of the team,” said head coach Liz Kritza in a news release. “As captains, they are the first to realize the effort that we need to put in to improve our overall level of play and continue on the path to building this program.”
Colorado recorded 48 digs in the match against CSUF, 18 of which came from Beckwith.
During the first set, the two teams exchanged the lead eight times and were tied 13 times. In the end, the Titans (3-0 at the tournament) were just too strong, and the Buffs lost their final match of the tournament.
“On the whole, we walk away from this tournament with a few more wins, a tough loss, but most importantly some valuable game experience and a great deal to focus on in our next training cycle,” Kritza said.
The Buffs finish their non-conference schedule with a .500 or better winning percentage for the 22nd straight season.
The team is off until September 15, when they begin their Big 12 Conference schedule against Oklahoma at the Coors Events Center.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.