Errors Costly at Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. – Despite a career-high tying 22 kills from freshman Hayley Hodson, the sixth-ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team fell in four set at Colorado (23-25, 25-27, 25-23, 21-25), Sunday, at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Colorado. The Cardinal drops to 11-5 overall and to 5-3 in the Pac-12, while the Buffaloes move to 12-8 and 4-4 in the conference.

Hodson hit .326 to lead the Cardinal while also recording eight digs and five blocks. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Merete Lutz added 15 kills on .323 hitting and four blocks. Senior outside hitter Brittany Howard was the third Cardinal with double-digit kills, finishing with 13.

Senior setter Madi Bugg directed the offense with 53 assists to go with seven digs and two kills. Redshirt sophomore Ivana Vanjak tallied a team-best seven blocks, while senior Jordan Burgess finished with a career high six blocks. Freshman libero Halland McKenna tied for a match-high with 16 digs.

Colorado out hit Stanford .260 to .245 and held a 60 to 44 advantage in the dig column. Both teams recorded 12.0 blocks, but the Cardinal was hurt by 12 service errors.

The Buffaloes were led by Gabby Simpson’s 25 kills and 10 digs. Senior Alexis Austin added 17 kills, 12 digs and six blocks for Colorado.

Stanford returns to The Farm next week to begin a four-match homestand against the Washington and Arizona schools. First up, the Cardinal face No. 4 Washington on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Networks.