Tag: Lady Buffs

Lady Buffs Volleyball Staying Home this Postseason

horvath Leave a comment

On Sunday, the NCAA announced the field for their 2015 women’s volleyball championships. The field of 64 included 32 automatic berths for conference championships and an equal number of at-large slots.

The Big 10 has bragging rights for the most number of teams (10) followed by 7 PAC-12 teams and 5 Big 12 teams. The top seeds were: No. 1 University of Southern California, No. 2 University of Minnesota, No. 3 University of Texas, and No. 4 University of Nebraska.

The announcement of the field took an unexpected turn for Colorado Buffs fans. The hometown team finished fifth in the PAC-12 with an 11-9 conference record and a 19-13 overall record. Despite their showing, the Lady Buffs were not invited to attend the Big Dance – yet invitations were extended to the 6th place Ducks (10-10 in conference and 16-13 overall), 7th place Wildcats (9-11 in conference and 19-13 overall) and 8th Sun Devils (8-12 in conference and 19-12 overall).

Here’s the way the conference season unfolded for CU:
• On a positive note, the Buffs swept Arizona, California, and Oregon State.
• The Buffs split matches with Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford, and Utah.
• The Buffs lost one match to Washington and defeated Washington State in one match.
• The Buffs were swept by USC and UCLA

The Buffs played 6 matches with a score of 3-2.
• They defeated Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington State.
• They lost to Oregon and USC.

In pre-conference play, the Buffs were 8-4. They were swept by Penn State (8th at the end of the season) and Illinois (21st at the end of the season). They dropped a 3-1 match at home to San Diego, who received votes in the final rankings. The Buffs other loss came at the hands of Rice, 3-1.

On a positive note, the Buffs had a 3-2 win over Florida State (ranked 19th at the end of the season). The other wins were against teams they shouldn’t have been playing:
• Oklahoma 12-16
• Sam Houston State, 14-18
• Louisiana-Lafayette, 6-23
• Montana State, 3-21
• Weber State, 6-22
• George Mason, 10-19
• Air Force, 12-21.
Combined these 7 teams were 63-140; they won 31.0% of their matches.

The Buffs had “good wins” against Stanford and FSU and at the end of the season they received votes for the top 25. A strong case can be made that the Lady Buffs were a legitimate top 32 team, i.e. they should have been invited to the Big Dance.

A strong case can be made that the Lady Buffs were a legitimate top 32 team, i.e. they should have been in the Big Dance.

If you consider the non-conference “bad losses” to Rice and San Diego and the conference losses to Oregon, Utah, and Arizona State, a strong case can be made that the Lady Buffs should stay at home.

The moral of the story is that competition against good teams and consistency matter!

Lady Buffs Sweep California
Lady Buffs sweep California.

 

Lady Buff Nuria Ormeño Ruiz Qualifies for NIIC

horvath Leave a comment

University of Colorado junior Nuria Ormeño Ruiz won the USTA/ITA Mountain Region Championship on Sunday (October 18). She is the first Lady Buff to capture the regional singles title.

After losing the first set, Ormeño Ruiz rebounded to defeat the University of Denver’s Julia O’Loughlin by a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The cubuffs.com website reported that the match began outdoors and was moved inside for the final set because of inclement weather.

With the win, Ormeño Ruiz automatically qualified for the USTA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in New York City on Nov. 12-15. This marks the first time the Buffs have had a singles player competing in the NIIC.  Last season Julyette Steur and Kyra Wojcik were the first Lady Buffs doubles team to qualify for the tournament.

Ormeño Ruiz was born in Madrid, Spain and graduated from the Emilio Sanchez International School in Barcelona. The cubuffs.com website indicates she entered the fall season with 38 singles and 25 doubles career victories as a Lady Buff.

The Lady Buffs have had a strong fall season and will begin the spring season on January 17 in Boulder against Air Force. Make plans now to support the Lady Buffs during their PAC-12 play.

Nuria Ormeño Ruiz

Lady Buffs Tennis Playing Stronger in PAC-12 Competition

horvath Leave a comment

It is an understatement to say that the move to the PAC-12 has been a challenge for the CU Lady Buffs Tennis team. The PAC-12 is arguably the toughest tennis conference in the U.S.

This past season the Lady Buffs defeated only Washington State, but lost 4-3 heart breakers to Oregon and Utah. With a little luck and a healthy team, CU would have won both matches.

In the Championship Draw of the PAC-12 tournament the Lady Buffs played competitive matches:
• (First Round) Julyette Steur lost a tough match to Krista Hardebeck of Stanford 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
• (First Round) Tina Bokhua fell to Zoe Scandalis of USC in the first round, 6-3, 7-5. Scandalis made it to the semifinals.
• (First Round Doubles) Julyette Steur and Ashley Tiefel bowed out to Giuliana Olmos and Zoe Scandalis of USC 8-3.

Lady Buffs Tennis
Lady Buffs Tennis – Alex Aiello

In the Invitational Singles Bracket the Lady Buffs got on the scoreboard:
• (First round)Ashley Tiefel was soundly defeated Elena Najera-Salas, Utah, 6-3, 6-1.
• (First round) Kyra Wojcik Colorado was edged by Zoe Katz, USC, 6-3, 7-5.
• (First round) Alex Aiello upset 8th seed Kristin Wiley, UCLA, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
• (Second round) Aiello defeated Alexia Petrovic, Utah, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
• (Quarterfinals) Aiello lost decisively to #2 seed, Meredith Xepoleas, USC, 6-0, 6-2. Xepoleas went on to win the tournament.
In this bracket the Lady Buffs won a total of two matches, while losing three.

Lady Buffs Tennis - Tina Bokhua
Lady Buffs Tennis – Tina Bokhua

The Lady Buffs also fared well in the Invitational Doubles Bracket:

• (First Round) Alex Aiello and Nuria Ormeno-Ruiz edged Krista Hardebeck and Paulette Wolak, Stanford, 8-6.
• (First Round) Tina Bokhua and Kyra Wojcik beat Gussie O’Sullivan and Ebony Panoho, ASU, 8-4.
• (Quarterfinals) Aiello and Ormeno-Ruiz beat Alexandra Osborne and Leighann Sahagun, ASU, 8-5.
• (Quarterfinals) Bokhua and Wojcik lost to Jena Cheng and Sarah Richter, Utah, 8-5.
• (Semifinals) Aiello and Ormeno-Ruiz lost to Capucine Gregoire and Riko Shimizu, Washington, 8-6.
In this bracket the Lady Buffs won a total of three matches, while losing two.

Hopefully this is a sign of more wins for Lady Buffs Tennis in the upcoming seasons.

Percentage of Points Won – Stanford, Nebraska, and CU Volleyball

horvath Leave a comment

What is the difference in the percentage of points won for winners and losers?

The top teams in the country win slightly more than half the points they play in conference matches. At the other end of the pecking order the worst teams in the country win 40% to 45% of the points they play.

As expected, teams that win about half the points will win about half the sets and about half their matches.

To illustrate this point, consider the 2006 and 2014 University of Colorado teams.

During the 2006 conference season the Lady Buffs won:
• 49.5% of the points
• 53.1% of the sets
• 60.0% of the matches.
During the 2014 season the Lady Buffs won:
• 50.0% of the points
• 50.0% of the sets
• 55.0% of the matches.
Both seasons the Lady Buffs were invited to the NCAA Championships and won their first round matches before bowing out.

When teams win less than half the points they win a much smaller percentage of the sets and an even smaller percentage of the matches. A prime example was the 2009 CU Lady Buffs.

During the 2009 season the Lady Buffs won:
• 42.8% of the points
• 16.7% of the sets
• 10.0% of the matches.
They had one of the poorest records in the country for Division I teams.

When teams win more than half the points those wins are magnified. A greater percentage of sets are won and an even greater percentage of matches are won.

During the 2014 season the Nebraska Cornhuskers won:
• 52.1% of the points
• 66.2% of the sets
• 70.0% of the matches.
The Cornhuskers lost 3-0 to finalist BYU in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships.

The 2014 Stanford Cardinal team won:
• 54.3% of the points
• 78.4% of the sets
• 95.0% of the matches.
The Cardinal lost to champion Penn State in the semifinals.

The 2006 Nebraska Cornhuskers won:
• 56.4% of the points
• 89.4% of the sets
• 95.0% of the matches.
The Cornhuskers were National Champions in 2006. Their only loss was to the Lady Buffs, a team that won less than half its points in conference play. Despite their one loss, this Husker team was incredibly dominant.

The data shows there is a fine line between the percentage of points won for the best and the worst teams in the country. For additional information, see the report Team Tendencies and the Importance of Winning a Point.

Percentage of Points Won - Stanford, Nebraska, CU

Colorado Lady Buffs Volleyball Ranked 21st

horvath Leave a comment

Congratulations to the Colorado Lady Buffs volleyball team and the PAC-12 on their 2014 season. Setter Nicole Edelman and AVCA All-American hitter Taylor Simpson led the Lady Buffs to a year-end ranking of 21st in the country. Nine PAC-12 teams were ranked in the top 25.

Lady Buffs Volleyball
Nicole Edelman (5) has set Taylor Simpson (16).

Best wishes to the Lady Buffs for a productive off-season and strong recruiting to fill the voids left by the graduating seniors.

2014 Season Ending AVCA Rankings (PAC-12 Teams in Blue)

Rank School Total Points Adjusted 2014 Record Previous Rank
1 Penn State 1500 36-3 4
2 Stanford 1432 33-2 1
3 BYU 1374 30-5 12
4 Wisconsin 1306 31-3 2
5 Texas 1276 27-3 6
6 Florida 1183 28-4 5
7 North Carolina 1115 29-3 7
8 Nebraska 1074 23-10 11
9 Washington 1049 31-3 3
10 Florida State 921 30-3 8
11 Illinois 900 26-8 10
12 Colorado State 853 31-3 9
13 Ohio State 744 23-12 18
14 Oregon 681 23-10 16
15 UCLA 659 22-12 17
16 Arizona 613 24-10 14
17 Kentucky 497 27-6 13
18 Utah 443 20-13 20
19 Long Beach State 407 27-5 15
20 Oregon State 376 20-13 NR
21 Colorado 333 20-14 19
22 Arizona State 231 20-14 22
23 Hawai'i 204 22-7 23
24 Arkansas-Little Rock 96 30-5 NR
25 Duke 74 22-8 21

 

Lady Buffs Volleyball Attendance on the Rise

horvath Leave a comment

The University of Colorado became a member of the PAC-12 Conference in 2010 and began competition in 2011. After tough seasons in their first two years, the Lady Buffs volleyball team won half their matches in 2013 and 2014.

The Lady Buffs won only 1 of 22 conference matches in their first season. On a positive note, they won their only conference match at home. Since the first year, there has been steady improvement on the court and in the stands.

On the court their Pac-12 record has improved over time. The Lady Buffs were:
• 1-21 in 2011.
• 4-16 in 2012.
• 9-11 in 2013.
• 11-9 in 2014.
In 4 years they have had 3 losing seasons and won 25 conference matches and lost 57.

Their home court conference record also got better. The Lady Buffs were:
• 1-10 in 2011.
• 4-6 in 2012.
• 7-3 in 2013.
• 6-4 in 2014.
The Lady Buffs have won 18 home matches and lost 23 in four seasons. On the road they were 7-34.

Finally, their average attendance at conference home games has shown steady gains. Attendance at the Lady Buff home matches was:
• 814 in 2011.
• 1,226 in 2012.
• 1,169 in 2013.
• 1,452 in 2014.

The reported average attendance during the 2014 season was noticeably greater than 2013. With the exception of the first match, more than 1,000 players were in attendance at all home matches.  They have a ways to go to catch up with Washington and other top teams, but at least they are headed in the right direction.

Lady Buffs Volleyball Home Conference Attendance 2014

Date Opponent Score Attendance
25-Sep Utah 3-2 462
3-Oct Arizona State 2-3 1 185
5-Oct Arizona 3-1 1 112
17-Oct Stanford 2-3 2 846
19-Oct California 3-1 2 035
6-Nov UCLA 0-3 1 280
9-Nov USC 0-3 1 672
13-Nov Washington 3-2 1 029
16-Nov Washington State 3-2 1 239
26-Nov Oregon State 3-1 1 655

Best wishes to the Lady Buffs volleyball team for a productive offseason and for continued improvement in 2015.

mary kate marshall Lady Buffs Volleyball
Mary Kate Marshall hits through a double block by the Lady Buffs volleyball team.

 

Best College Tennis Players in Country Go Unnoticed in Boulder

horvath 1 Comment

The best college tennis players in the country recently went unnoticed in Boulder. The  city has a poor track record of supporting (watching) great sports performances.  Boulderites would rather play than watch – which isn’t all bad.

Over a 10 day period (March 14th to March 24th) Colorado tennis fans had an opportunity to see the future of American women’s professional tennis in Boulder as the 74th-ranked Lady Buffs tennis team played USC (12th), Cal (16th), UCLA (2), and Stanford (4). Eleven of the PAC-12 visiting opponents are currently in the top 30 of the ITA singles rankings.

Zoe Scandalis, #1 Player USC, against CU Buffs. Scandalis is one of the top college tennis players in the country.
Zoe Scandalis, #1 Player, University of Southern California, in match against CU Lady Buffs.

The USC powerhouse is led by #1 player Zoe Scandalis (see photo) and includes a group of 9 elite junior players from California and 1 player from Mississippi. All were highly-ranked junior players who participated in a variety of USTA programs.

On the other hand Cal’s team is comprised of a mix of accomplished American and International players. For example, Hungarian Zsofi Susanyi, #3 singles player, advanced to the singles finals at the 2009 Junior Wimbledon.

The Stanford team includes 5 Californians, two East Coast players, and a Canadian. Three of the six players (Krista Hardebeck, Carol Zhao, and Carolyn Doyle) played in various junior Grand Slams and Kristie Ahn, #1 player, played in the main draw of the U.S. Open.

UCLA is coached by Stella Sampras, older sister of Pete Sampras. All six Bruin players (Robin Anderson, Jennifer Brady, Catherine Harrison, Chanelle Van Nguyen, Kyle McPhillips, and Courtney Dolehide) played in multiple junior Grand Slam events. In addition, one player played in the main draw of the U.S. Open. All of the players except Dolehide are currently in the top 50 of the singles ITA rankings.

It is disappointing that there weren’t more people in attendance to watch some great college tennis by the Buffs and their opponents. (Average estimated attendance for the four matches was less than 200 people.)

It is an even greater travesty that the Colorado tennis community doesn’t give the Lady Buffs the ongoing support the team deserves!

 

 

Lady Buffs Volleyball Makes Headway with Mix of In-State and Out-of-State Players

horvath Leave a comment

The 2013 Lady Buffs Volleyball team posted its first winning season since 2006, by winning 17 matches and losing 13. In conference play, they were only 9-11; however, one of those wins included an upset of Washington, the eventual conference champion.

In 2006 the team was 17-12 overall and 12-8 in the Big 12 Conference. That year they were the only blemish on Nebraska’s record. The Cornhuskers were both Conference and National Champions.

The 2006 Lady Buffs featured a mix of talented out-of-staters (Alex Buth, Lauren Schaefer, Callie Webster, Ashley VenHorst, Austin Zimmerman, and Mallori Gibson) and Colorado residents:

  • Kaitlyn Burkett – Colorado Springs
  • Lara Bossow – Vail
  • Kristin Karlik – Colorado Springs
  • Amber Nu’u – Aurora
  • Ashley Nu’u – Aurora
  • Amber Sutherland – Glenwood Springs.

    lady buffs volleyball
    Nicole Edelman sets Nikki Lindow.

The team closed out the season with a loss to the Washington Huskies in the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.

There have been six very long years for Buff fans and players between 2007 and 2012. Overall, they won 29.9% of their matches, 52-122. Their conference record was abysmal, 18-104; they won 14.8% of their matches.

Major contributors to the 2013 Lady Buffs team also included a mix of out-of-state players (Kerra Schroeder, Elysse Richardson, Alexis Austin, Joslyn Hayes, and Neira Ortiz Ruiz) and top Colorado players:

  • Emily Alexis – Brighton
  • Jessica Aschenbrenner – Denver
  • Nicole Edelman – Boulder
  • Kelsey English – Colorado Springs
  • Nikki Lindow – Erie
  • Cierra Simpson – Colorado Springs
  • Taylor Simpson – Colorado Springs

It is great to see a Colorado D1 program have success on and off the court, but it is even more special when it includes so many in-state players.  Go Lady Buffs Volleyball!