For a volleyball team like Colorado State — a squad that has qualified for the past 16 NCAA tournaments and has not dropped out of the top 25 since 2009 — seasons never start slowly.
The Rams this season swept through the Arkansas Invitational, winning nine straight sets over the Razorbacks, Middle Tennessee State and McNeese State.
Never a team to shy from a challenge, No. 15 CSU traveled straight to Oklahoma to face the No. 17 Sooners, who beat the Rams 3-0.
But now comes the true test.
With CSU back in Fort Collins for its next five games, Friday’s marquee match against No. 5 Nebraska at Moby Arena will be among the biggest early- season clashes in the country.
“We have to learn from (the Oklahoma loss),” CSU coach Tom Hilbert, now in his 15th season at the Rams’ helm, said after the match. “That’s why we play these games. We got to see and experience a very fast offense.”
From a Big 12 Conference team at Oklahoma to former Big 12 squad Nebraska (now in the Big Ten), CSU has its work cut out. It will be the first time since 2006 that the Rams will play ranked teams in consecutive matches.
The last time CSU hosted a ranked team, the Rams beat No. 6 Washington in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. But the last time they welcomed a top-five team, the Rams lost to No. 3 Washington in 2005.
Under Hilbert, however, CSU is 23-11 against ranked teams at Moby Arena, including a win over No. 5 BYU in 1997 — the last time they beat a top-five team in Fort Collins.
“I keep saying this,” Hilbert said earlier this season in a release. “But our team continues to play with so much maturity.”
So far this season, CSU is led by senior opposite hitter Katelyn Steffan’s 44 kills. Freshman setter Deedra Foss has 129 assists through four matches. Defensively, two juniors lead the Rams: Izzy Gaulia’s 50 digs and Megan Plourde’s 16 blocks both pace the team.
The Nebraska match starts at 7 p.m. at Moby Arena. Then the Rams host Albany (N.Y.) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
All set for the weekend
A pair of volleyball matches at Moby Arena in Fort Collins:
• Today: No. 15 Colorado State vs. No. 5 Nebraska, 7 p.m.
• Saturday: No. 15 Colorado State vs. Albany, 7 p.m.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Getting more kicks in.
Nine months after earning his first cap with the U.S. national team, Rapids midfielder Jeff Larentowicz will make another appearance with the team this weekend.
Larentowicz was called up again to the U.S. roster under new coach Juergen Klinsmann.
The U.S., with a veteran-laden roster that includes Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Carlos Bocanegra, will face Costa Rica on Saturday in Carson, Calif. The 9 p.m. game airs on ESPN2.
Larentowicz and crew then travel to Brussels to take on Belgium on Tuesday for a 12:30 p.m. game on ESPN. The TV games are a soccer fix for Rapids fans — Colorado is not back in MLS action until Sept. 9.
GET OFF THE COUCH
Why not run around in town?
The Boulder Marathon might be the go-to race for big competition this Labor Day weekend. But for city folks, check out the Park to Park 10- and 5-milers Monday.
With no office traffic around Denver on the holiday, it’s a perfect time to run the course.
The route kicks off at City Park, runs to Cheesman Park, then west to Alamo Placita Park, with a homestretch south to Washington Park before finishing at All-City Stadium, near South High School.
It all starts at 7 a.m. near the Museum of Nature and Science. For more details, go to .
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
A net gain for Aspen tournament.
Since 1972, the MotherLode Volleyball Classic has brought thousands of the best beach spikers in the country to Aspen for a drag-out bracket of matches.
The tournament, one of the biggest and most-liked pro-am events in America, continues through Monday.
And because the Association of Volleyball Professionals’ pro beach league shuttered last year, leaving Boulder without a tour stop, the MotherLode will be the only pro beach tournament in the Rocky Mountain region this year.
The National Volleyball League, one of the leagues to sprout up in AVP’s place, this year partnered with the MotherLode to include some of its pros in the tournament. So, expect the quality of play to be up from years past.
There will be some 700 teams over 17 divisions. The women’s open championship match starts at 3 p.m. Monday, and the men’s at 4 p.m. Matches will stream every day until then.
For more information, go to and .
