No. 14 BYU volleyball drops first match to Colorado in Big 12 opener

PROVO — Last week, Colorado women's volleyball had its nine-match season-opening win streak halted with a pair of losses to in-state rival Colorado State.

The Buffs did some streak busting of their own Thursday night.

Ana Burilovic poured in 22 kills, seven digs and four aces as Colorado stunned 14th-ranked BYU, handing the Cougars their first loss of the season — 25-13, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21 — in a Big 12 opener for both squads in front of an announced crowd of 2,834 fans at the Smith Fieldhouse.

It's the most kills by Burilovic since the senior from Split, Croatia, put down 25 last year against Washington.

Suli Davis had 15 kills and nine digs to lead BYU, but the freshman took 39 swings and hit just .103 for a team that hit .177 with 28 attack errors — one off the season high from last week's 3-1 win at Utah Valley.

Brielle Kemavor added 14 kills and four blocks, and Claire Little Chambers supplied 11 kills, five digs and two blocks. Alex Bower dished out 37 assists with 10 digs for BYU (12-1, 0-1 Big 12).

"We were flat in every area of the game," BYU coach Heather Olmstead said. "I'm not sure why. Offensively, defensively, serving, passing; yet we were still within a couple points in some of the sets.

"We don't have much time to look at it," the 11th-year head coach with a career record of 269-47 added. "We just have to see if we can come out better tomorrow, practice and get ready for a good Iowa State team (on Saturday)."

The Big 12 preseason favorites who tied for the fifth-best start to a BYU campaign in the NCAA era were one of just eight remaining unbeaten teams in the country, and one of two from the Big 12 with West Virginia.

But Thursday proved there are no nights off in a conference where every team finished nonconference play above .500 and all but two of the 15 teams with at least seven wins before Big 12 play.

"I think the Big 12 is one of the best conferences right now," Bower said. "Every night is going to be a battle, no matter who you're playing. Every game is going to be a battle."

Burilovic couldn't miss early, putting down six kills with a block without an error in the first set.

Kemavor kept the Cougars close early, when Chambers and Davis combined for seven kills and 10 errors en route to a two sets to none deficit.

"BK is a stud," Bower said. "I can put the ball anywhere on the net and BK will find a kill. She's just that type of person and athlete. I feel like our connection is good, and I would go to BK anywhere on the court and know she's going to put it down. … She's always been that person."

Davis found her footing in the third set, more than doubling her tally with six kills on 14 swings as the Cougars led by as much as 18-11.

The freshman quieted a 4-0 run by the visitors with a kill that stretched the host's edge to 21-18. After a kill by Davis was overturned on video review, Colorado tied the set through Burilovic's ace at 22-all.

But Bower found Kemavor over the middle, then floated a ball to Chambers on the outside to help BYU prevent the sweep with a 25-23 third-set win to prevent the sweep.

"Alex was finding her well, and she had a good fire. She kept us in the match, and was pretty hot. I thought (Sophia Callahan) did a nice job on the right side, too, getting some kills when we needed it.

"But overall, offensively, our passing wasn't great and it was tough to get kills."

The Cougars host Iowa State, which rallied for a reverse-sweep over No. 23 Utah — 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-13 — Thursday night at 12 p.m. MDT Saturday in the Smith Fieldhouse.

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