The turnaround this season by the Colorado volleyball team can be traced to two dynamics competitively.

The Buffaloes have been very good against elite competition. And CU also has been strong in high-pressure situations, such as fifth-set showdowns.

Those traits have CU on track to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022. Yet they weren’t quite enough to lift the Buffs past the top team in the Big 12 Conference.

The 22nd-ranked Buffs mounted a spirited comeback after falling into a two-set hole, but couldn’t put away No. 8 Arizona State in the fifth and deciding set, with the Sun Devils prevailing 25-19, 25-22, 18-25, 21-25, 15-12 in a Saturday afternoon thriller at the CU Events Center.

The Buffs fell to 4-3 this season against ranked foes, with two of those losses oc

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