Marquee matches against top-20 Colorado loom for CSU volleyball
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Two matches in two nights against a top-20 team with a rivalry trophy on the line.
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It doesn't get much better than that for a back-to-back for the Colorado State volleyball team.
The Rams play a home-and-home this week against rival CU with the Golden Spike trophy on the line. CSU won the trophy by beating CU in both matchups last season.
Here's a look at the matches and where CSU stands.
Colorado vs Colorado State volleyball rivalry matches
The annual home-and-home takes place Sept. 17 and 18 with the Thursday match (7 p.m.) in Boulder and the Rams hosting Friday (6 p.m.) at Moby Arena.
CSU's home match Sept. 18 is the annual "white out" game.
Where CSU stands
The Rams are 6-2 and on a bit of a heater. CSU has won four matches in a row, including going 3-0 last week with each victory coming in a sweep.
That included beating rival Wyoming 3-0 in Laramie.
CSU's two defeats were to ranked teams, a 3-1 home loss to then-No. 11 SMU (now ranked No. 5) and a 3-2 road defeat at then-No. 19 North Carolina (now ranked No. 25).
"It's been a good start, albeit some painful losses to some really good teams," CSU coach Emily Kohan said.
The CU matches are the final nonconference games before the Rams enter Pac-12 play.
CU provides two chances for a top-25 win
Kohan says a goal for the team has been to snag some signature wins. The Rams just missed earlier this season, especially in a five-set defeat at North Carolina.
CU provides two more chances. The Buffs are 8-0 and ranked No. 17 in the latest top-25 poll.
"This is our last attempt to play a ranked team until postseason and one of our big goals we've set for a year now is we want to have some signature wins against ranked teams," Kohan said. "Now here we are, we're at the last two times to get a ranked win and have some momentum going into the Pac-12."
CU is a familiar opponent, of course. The teams play twice each year, occasionally in spring or preseason exhibitions and CU's veteran roster is largely the same from previous years.
CU coach Jesse Mahoney was a longtime assistant under former CSU coach Tom Hilbert and CU associate head coach Evan Sanders Lobato played setter at CSU.
Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Marquee matches against top-20 Colorado loom for CSU volleyball