The Buffaloes fell in straight sets 25-13, 25-8, 25-22 to the No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones at the Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday.
The Buffs� record falls to 6-18 overall (3-15 Big 12). The Cyclones improve to 18-7 (11-6 Big 12).
CU had a tough battle, especially after the end of the first set when an injury took junior middle blocker Anicia Santos out of the match.
�This was slated to be a tall order for this young team with its shorter-than-usual turnaround and a road matchup against a high caliber team like Iowa State,� head coach Liz Kritza said. �When we had to make some lineup changes, it turned into the toughest challenge this group has faced this season.�
Colorado recorded 39 digs in the match. Sophomore outside hitter Kerra Schroeder made 13 of CU�s 24 kills.
Iowa State came out to an early 10-4 lead to start the first. CU got within five to narrow the lead to 14-9, but never got the momentum to come back. The Buffs were limited to just six kills � five of which were Schroeder�s � in the set, and fell 25-13.
Once again, in the second set, CU only came up with six kills, and a 10-2 ISU lead was too much to battle back from. The Buffs dropped the set 25-8.
The third set was made up of runs by both teams. The Cyclones went up 14-7 in the third, but a 7-2 run by the Buffs helped narrow the margin to two points. Iowa State then took the next four points, but the Buffs went on another run cutting ISU�s lead to 22-20. CU fought off two match points, but lost 25-22.
“The fight these players showed in the third set, after adjusting to the necessary changes, revealed the character of this team and what we must take from tonight’s tough loss,� Kritza said. “This is what teams do; they change and adjust as the season twists and turns. Our entire group stays positively focused on progress and continuing to take steps in the right direction.�
The Buffs return to Colorado for their final home match of the season to face Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Seniors Rosie Steinhaus and Kristin Martell will be honored before and after the match.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.