UCLA
Colorado
15th-Ranked Bruins Get Some Revenge in Sweep of #21 Colorado
November 07, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
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BOULDER, Colo. - Senior Karsta Lowe had a match-high 18 kills and senior Julie Consani recorded 35 assists and three aces, with both players adding nine digs, as the 15th-ranked Bruins went on the road and swept #21 Colorado at the Coors Events Center on Thursday. Set scores were 25-17, 25-21, 25-23.
The Bruins (17-7, 8-5 Pac-12) hit .360 for the match, the 54th-straight contest they have won when hitting .300 or better. Sophomore Claire Felix had seven kills and no errors in 10 attempts for a career-best .700 hitting percentage, while senior Zoë Nightingale also had a spotless night with six kills in nine swings. Freshman Reily Buechler recorded six kills and five digs, junior Karly Drolson added eight digs, redshirt sophomore Haley Lawless had five kills and sophomore Taylor Formico posted eight digs.
The Bruins never trailed in set one, scoring the first three points on kills by Nightingale and Lowe and a Consani ace. After the Buffs tied it up at three, a 4-1 UCLA run on two Lowe kills, a Buechler kill and a Colorado attack error put the visitors up 7-4. At 9-7, Buechler had a kill and teamed up with Nightingale on a block, while a bad set for the Buffs made it 12-7.
The closest the Buffaloes (15-10, 7-6) would get for the rest of the set was three at 13-10. UCLA responded with an 8-2 run to take a set-best lead of nine at 21-12. A Buechler kill, a Lowe/Nightingale block and a Lowe kill made it 16-10. After a CU sideout, Lowe and Lawless kills stretched the lead to 18-11. Following another sideout, kills by Lowe and Lawless and a Lowe ace made it 21-12. The Bruins would win the opener 25-17 behind six kills and four digs for Lowe. Buechler added four kills, as the Bruins out-hit the Buffaloes .429 to .241.
Colorado took its first lead of the match at 1-0 in set two, but the Bruins scored the next three and didn't trail for the rest of the set. The score was tied at eight and 10, but two errors and a Lowe kill put UCLA on top 13-10. At 14-13, a Lowe kill and solo block and Colorado attack error brought the lead up to four at 17-13.
The Bruins' lead would stay between three and six for the rest of the set. At 24-18, Colorado saved three set points, but a Buechler kill finished up a 25-21 victory. Felix was 4-for-4 in kill attempts in the second, Lowe also had four kills and Nightingale added three. The Bruins out-hit the Buffaloes .279 to .238.
The Buffaloes led throughout most of set three, but the Bruins methodically came back to win a deuce set and finish off the sweep. Colorado led early 7-2, its biggest edge of the third set. At 15-11, a 4-0 Bruin run on a CU service error, kills by Lowe and Buechler and a Consani ace evened the score at 15. It would be the first of seven ties in the second half of the third set at 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.
At 23-all, a Lowe kill set up a match point for the Bruins and the senior finished what she started with her eighth kill of the third set to complete the 25-23 win. Lowe had eight of the Bruins' 15 kills in the third, as they out-hit the Buffaloes .414 to .389. Formico added five digs.
The Bruins are off until Sunday when they face Utah at 1 p.m. PT. The match will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
