The Colorado Buffaloes (10-14, 3-9 Big 12) fell to the No. 23 Utah Utes (18-5, 8-3 Big 12) in Wednesday night’s conference matchup. The Utes handed the Buffs their sixth consecutive loss this season.
The black and gold fought throughout the matchup, especially in the first two sets, as the Utes and the Buffs were able to split the sets in a close battle. However, the Utes outperformed the Buffs in the third set as the Utes opened up the third set with a 9-2 lead, which the Buffs couldn’t come back from.
Attack errors were huge for the Buffaloes, as their hitting percentage in this matchup was .043%, while the Utes were more dominant with their attacks, posting a hitting percentage of .224%. The Utes brought a lot of intensity to Boulder, and their energy reflected onto their plays.
Although the attack errors for the Buffs didn’t benefit points, sophomore middle blocker Cayla Payne recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 11 blocks for the night. Sophomore outside hitter Ana Burilović was also a vital player for the matchup as she had 10 kills and five blocks. Although these two had a stellar night, it wasn’t enough to defeat the No. 23 Utes.
“I think we’re in the right place. I think we’re still feeling like we’re doing the right things, and it will pay off for us eventually,” Coach Jesse Mahoney said.
The Buffs are looking to bounce back from this string of losses as they return home to the CU Events Center to face the University of Cincinnati Bearcats this Saturday at noon. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
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