Font ResizeThe Colorado volleyball team will be packing its pride when it travels to play Texas Tech this Saturday.
Liz Kritza`s Buffs -- now 6-17 overall and 1-13 in the Big 12 after Kansas swept its way through the Coors Events Center with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 victory on Wednesday night in front of 603 witnesses -- will almost certainly avoid the conference cellar this season with a win over the reeling Red Raiders (2-19, 0-12).
"The rest of the season, we`re going to fight our hearts out," sophomore outside hitter Becah Fogle promised after leading CU with 13 kills.
The Buffs led the second set 18-14 before the Jayhawks (13-10, 5-8) went on a 6-0 run en route to a two-set lead before the intermission.
"It was the turning point in that game," said sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Rosie Steinhaus, who added eight digs and nine digs for the home team. "We didn`t execute as well as we would have liked to and it kind of went the other way."
Defensively, CU did a pretty good job of containing Karina Garlington, who ranked fifth in the Big 12 in kills per game, through the first two sets. But KU`s other hitting star, Allison Mayfield, had 21 kills and a .364 hitting percentage.
The dynamic duo combined for 10 kills in the third set.
"These two hitters, you don`t neutralize both of them. It`s choosing one or the other and you don`t contain them," Kritza said. "You just have to slow them down enough. ... Mayfield went off. In the first set it was an offensive show from her. We were able to slow that down, but then it really got away from us when Garlington got going."
Fogle and Steinhaus also played well, but their combined kill total only equaled Mayfield`s individual total.
"Two players had to carry the load for us, and that`s not the way this team is going to win," Kritza said. "The way this team is going to win is with a really balanced approach."
The Buffs still have six matches to play and will try to gain some momentum for the 2010 season. They will face three more ranked opponents -- Baylor, Texas A&M and Nebraska -- down the stretch.
"They`re outmatched at times," Kritza said of her players. "The teams that we`ve played in sequence make it tough for a young team to learn. ... I expect their best and we`re really trying to teach the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. It`s a difficult thing loss after loss after loss, but we remain focused on the right things to make sure we don`t have this repeat season after season."
On to Lubbock.
"We`re excited for Saturday," Steinhaus said. "It should be a good game."
