Set 1
After an early Buffaloes' attack error put the Cougars on the board, back-to-back service errors left BYU up 2-1. The Buffs and Cougars then traded two kills each before Colorado opened a 3-0 drive to go up 6-4 on BYU.
CU continued to press with four more kills to go up 11-7 despite committing two service errors over the stretch. A kill from Little Chambers and another Colorado service error later, and the Cougars were able to claw back to a 15-13 deficit behind kills from Little Chambers and Mortensen.
BYU then scored two straight behind a kill from Prior and a block from Prior and Hardy to bring the score within two, but the Buffs fought right back with a kill and the first ace of the night to go ahead 19-15, forcing BYU to take a timeout.
An overpass after a serve nearly put the Cougars down six on the Colorado block, but a clutch kill to the far corner by Kaylie Kofe gave BYU the point, jumpstarting a 5-1 run that featured kills from Little Chambers and Burgess to bring the gap to one, with Colorado leading 21-20.
A short 2-0 BYU run later, that included a kill from Little Chambers and a triple block from Mortensen, Burgess and Callahan, and the score was knotted at 22. The Buffs then went up 24-22 after two more kills before a review on a touch out of bounds reversed the final CU point to give the Cougars a chance, down 23-24. Colorado then immediatly closed the set out on a kill that sailed out of bounds after a BYU touch on the block.
Set 2
The Buffs opened the set with their sixth service error of the night. BYU and Colorado then traded points, evening the score at five a piece. Colorado then opened a 5-1 run to take a 10-6 lead before BYU fought back with an 8-2 run of their own to steal the lead going up by two, 14-12. The run included three kills from Little Chambers, kills from Burgess and Prior and a double block by Callahan and Burgess.
Another Buffs service error and a kill from Hardy then opened a 3-1 BYU run that featured an ace from Kofe, putting the Cougars up 18-15. A back and forth battle then ensued, with Hardy, Little-Chambers and Prior leading the way for the Cougars, each earning a kill of their own on their way to a 21-19 lead.
After a double block from Burgess and Callahan, Little Chambers’ serve hit the tape and rolled over for an ace to give BYU a 23-19 lead, forcing a Buffs timeout.
Out of the break, Colorado showed life, earning back-to-back kills, causing BYU to call a timeout of their own. The breather gave the Cougars the momentum right back, where they closed out the set behind a double block from Burgess and Callahan and a kill from Hardy to win the set 25-22.
Set 3
After blocking BYU’s first hit of the set, the Buffs again opened with a service error, marking their ninth of the evening. Colorado and BYU then traded scores down the stretch, knotting the score at 6.
The Cougars then targeted Colorado’s Ana Burilovic on three straight serves, causing her to commit an attack error on top of earning kills from Callahan and Mortensen to go ahead 9-6.
Two Buffaloes' kills later, and the Cougars again targeted Burilovic on the next five serves, causing her to commit two attack errors and resulting in returnable rallies that garnered two double blocks from Burgess and Little-Chambers to give BYU a 15-9 lead at the media break.
Colorado then stole the momentum back, going on a 7-2 run to bring the game within one, BYU leading 17-16, before the Cougars scored three in a row with kills from Blamires, Mortensen and a double block by Blamires and Hardy, forcing a Buffs timeout with the Cougars leading 20-16.
BYU picked up right where it left off, scoring five straight to close the set on an 8-0 run behind two kills from Hardy, a kill from Blamires, a triple block from Blamires, Hardy and Mortensen and a double block by Mortensen and Hardy. The final block featured a pancaked dig from Alex Bower to save a cross court hit from the Buffs. BYU won the set 25-16, never trailing by more than one point in the set.
Set 4
Colorado earned the first three of four points to go ahead 3-1 before committing their 13th service error. The Buffs then opened a 4-1 run to take a 7-3 lead, but the Cougars fought back, scoring two straight behind kills from Mortenesen and Little Chambers.
After three Colorado kills, BYU showcased its quick hitting with back-to-back kills from Hardy on hurry up sets to the middle position, scoring twice more despite a scrappy pancake dig from the Buffs. The 5-2 series cut Colorado’s lead to just one with BYU trailing 11-12 after a kill from Little Chambers.
Yet another service error from the Buffs and two kills from Mortensen, including one off of a cross-court deflection, and the score was knotted at 14. BYU then took its first lead of the set, up 15-14, behind Mortensen’s third straight kill.
The Cougars continued to target Burilovic on every possession, causing her to commit two straight attack errors and resulting in a Buffs timeout with the Cougars leading 18-15.
The break didn’t change anything for Colorado, as the Cougars immediately opened a 4-1 run behind kills from Mortensen and Hardy to go up 22-17. BYU didn’t stop there, as it closed the set on a kill from Little Chambers and back-to-back kills from Blamires to win 25-18.
Up Next
The Cougars continue their home stand against No. 8 Arizona State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. MDT, with streaming available on ESPN+.
