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Less than a third of the way through the regular season, the CU volleyball team had already eclipsed its victory totals from four of the previous five years. And less than halfway through the schedule, the Buffs had doubled last year’s win total —12 vs. 6, thanks to a strong freshman class.

CU finished nonconference play with a 10-2 record, which tied the second-best mark in program history after a dozen matches. It was a refreshing change of pace after the Buffs went a combined 19-66 in the first three seasons under coach Liz Kritza.

“I know that we have all the confidence in the world and all the belief in each other, and one thing I know to be true about this team is that we don’t fracture,” Kritza says. “With our backs against the wall, this group does not fall apart.”

CU followed up its nonconference success with a 3-0 victory over Utah, which marked the Buffs’ first sweep of an in-conference opponent since 2009.