CU Women's Soccer Faces stiff Test against Georgia in NCAA Tournament
The University of Colorado women's soccer team is looking to break its trend of early tournament exits as they face off against Georgia in the NCAA Tournament first round on Friday. The contest is set to take place at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Georgia, and will commence at 2:30 p.m. MT.
Colorado, who are appearing in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament and fourth in the past six seasons, have a rich history in the tournament but have struggled to advance beyond the first round. They enter the tournament at No. 55 in the RPI despite reaching the Sweet 16 only once since joining the sport as an independent.
Georgia, who are coming off a 1-0 loss against Arkansas in the SEC tournament quarterfinals, boast a strong home record with a 5-3-2 mark. The Bulldogs will look to bounce back from that tough loss and secure their spot in the next round, potentially against either Morehead State or second-seeded Wake Forest.
This contest marks the teams' first meeting since a 2003-04 home-and-home series, where Colorado won the game in overtime at home. Georgia are ranked No. 37 nationally, while Colorado are No. 55. The winner of this matchup will have to be at the top of their game if they hope to overcome the odds.
CU's Women's Volleyball Seeks Bounce-Back Win against Iowa State
The University of Colorado women's volleyball team is looking to turn around its recent fortunes on Wednesday as they face off against Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament. The contest takes place at Ames, Iowa, and will commence at 5:30 p.m. MT.
Despite a good record on the road, CU has struggled to win their past three road matches. Meanwhile, Iowa State have lost five consecutive matches and three of their last four home games.
CU have only faced Iowa State since re-joining the Big 12 previously in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and this will be their first matchup against the Cyclones since then. The Buffs ended their previous stint in the Big 12 with losses to Iowa State in nine of their last ten matchups, but they dominated the series prior to that.
Looking ahead, CU middle blocker Cayla Payne is set to lead the team, ranking sixth in the Big 12 with 1.13 blocks per set. Senior setter Taylor Simpson also provides a consistent threat, ranking eighth in the conference with 9.22 assists per set.
CU Looks to End Streaks and Rebound from Recent Setbacks
The CU volleyball team is also dealing with issues on both offense and defense. As a team, they remain last in the Big 12 in a number of key statistics, including kills per set and opponent hitting percentage.
On a more positive note, the team will return home for three consecutive games starting November 21 against Arizona. This season's women's cross country teams will compete at the NCAA Mountain Regional, while the women's golf team boasted a stellar fall season with Sydney Givens leading the way with an impressive stroke average of 72.40 over 18 holes.
Additionally, Justin Biwer set a program record for men's golfers, completing 61 consecutive holes without a bogey, surpassing the previous record of 42 holes. The Buffs are expected to climb in the rankings after moving up 19 spots during the fall season.