BOULDER – The 22nd-ranked Colorado volleyball team (20-5, 10-3 Big 12) is back home this week for two more ranked conference matchups. CU will go head-to-head with No. 16 TCU (18-7, 8-5 Big 12) on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. MT, and No. 8 Arizona State (20-3, 11-1 Big 12) on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. MT.
The Buffs take on back-to-back ranked opponents for the third time this season, sporting a 3-2 record over ranked opponents. This is CU’s second time playing the Horned Frogs all-time, and its 29th meeting with Sun Devils – second time this season matching up with ASU.
Last week, CU dropped both its road matches to the Kansas schools. The Buffs sit at 35-18 against the Jayhawks all-time and 27-24 versus the Wildcats overall.
THIS WEEK
MATCH #26 • Thursday November 13 • 7 p.m. MT
No. 22 Colorado (20-5, 10-3 Big 12) vs. No. 16 TCU (18-7, 8-5 Big 12)
SERIES RECORD: TCU Leads, 1-0 (.000)
LAST MEETING: L, 3-0 (October 30, 2024 • Fort Worth, Texas)
STREAK: Lost 1 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 0-1
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoFrogs.com
MATCH #27 • Saturday, November 15 • 1 p.m. MT
No. 22 Colorado (20-5, 10-3 Big 12) vs. No. 8 ASU (20-3, 11-1 Big 12)
SERIES RECORD: ASU Leads, 15-13 (.464)
LAST MEETING: L, 3-1 (October 10, 2025 • Tempe, Ariz.)
STREAK: Lost 4 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 4-6
OPPONENT WEBSITE: TheSunDevils.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
- CU is led by 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, who has led the Buffs to a 161-131 (.551) record as CU’s fifth head volleyball coach. Coach Mahoney has been extended through 2027 and has led the Buffs to three NCAA appearances. Mahoney also picked up his 150th win as head coach at CU against Denver at CU Events Center (Sept. 14). He becomes the third coach in Colorado Volleyball history to reach 150 wins, joining the likes of Pi’i Aiu and Brandon Saindon.
- In its second year back in the Big 12, Colorado was picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll. The Buffs are 162-169 (.489) all-time in Big 12 conference play and second in the conference standings.
- For the first week this season, the Buffs are ranked 22nd in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll. This is the ninth week this season that the Buffs have received votes in the poll, and their sixth week in a row in the top-25.
- Colorado has 20 wins this season, marking the program’s 13th 20-win season and its first since 2022.
- Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic currently ranks first in points per set (5.47), which is good for seventh in the NCAA. She is also first in kills per set (4.70), as well as second in service aces per set (0.44) in the Big 12. She is 11th in kills per set and 39th for aces per set in the NCAA. Burilovic had nine kills, six digs, three blocks and an ace at Kansas (Nov. 6), and she had 10 kills, four digs and an ace at K-State (Nov. 8).
- R-Jr. S Rian Finley is sixth in the Big 12 for assists per set with 9.57. Finley totaled 49 assists against the two Sunflower State teams last week.
- Jr. PIN Sydney Jordan is sixth in the Big 12 for aces per set (0.35). Jordan notched an ace against K-State, and she had 10 digs, nine kills and a block.
- Jr. MB Cayla Payne is fourth in the Big 12 for hitting percentage (.355). Last week against K-State, Payne had seven kills on nine swings, hitting a career high .778 (Nov. 8). She also had five kills and seven blocks against Kansas (Nov. 6).
- So. MB Maria Splawska is ninth in the Big 12 for blocks per set with 1.18. Last week, Splawska totaled eight blocks, along with five kills, a dig and an ace.
- As a team, the Buffs are third in the Big 12 for aces per set (1.57), sixth for hitting percentage (.250), fifth for blocks per set (2.54) and fourth for opponent hitting percentage (.183).
ROAM WITH THE BUFFS: The Buffs’ matches against No. 16 TCU and No. 8 ASU will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can also follow Colorado matches through live stats with links available at CUBuffs.com.
FEELIN’ FROGGY: This is only CU’s second time playing the TCU Horned Frogs. The first time came last season in Fort Worth, Texas, where TCU swept the Buffs (Oct. 30). This is the Buffs’ sixth opponent in the AVCA Top-25.
THE (SUN) DEVILS IN THE DETAILS: The Buffs traveled to Tempe, Ariz., earlier this season to face the Sun Devils in the teams’ 28th meeting. CU fell in four sets to the ranked Sun Devils (Nov. 10). The Black and Gold hold a 10-4 record at home over ASU, and they are 4-6 in the teams’ last 10 matches.
MILESTONE WATCH: Jr. PIN Sydney Jordan has 490 digs, 10 away from 500. Sr. DS/L Sarah Moton has 1,396 digs, 104 away from 1,500. Jr. DS/L Peyton Neal has 936 digs, 64 away from 1,000. Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic had 938 kills, 62 away from 1,000. R-Jr. S Rian Finley has 958 assists, 42 away from 1,000.
MILESTONE CHECK: Jr. MB Cayla Payne reached 300 blocks. Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic reached 100 blocks.
#16 WHAT THE SPLAWSKA: So. MB Maria Splawska spent the end of the summer (Aug. 7-17) competing for Team Poland in the FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia. Splawska led the whole tournament in blocks, finishing with 40 (4.44 per match). Splawska and Team Poland made it all the way to the quarter-finals, where they lost 3-1 to Bulgaria. Splawska and her team finished sixth overall in the Championship, defeating Egypt (3-0), Turkey (3-0), Algeria (3-0), the Czech Republic (3-0), Peutro Rico (3-0), and Turkey again (3-2). Poland saw losses to China (3-1) in the battle for fifth place, as well as Italy (3-2) and the aforementioned Bulgaria.
#21 PAPA DWINELL: Jr. PIN Lily Dwinell is another Buff with athletic ability in her blood. Her father, Scott, played basketball at Westmont.
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
