It wasn’t exactly a triumphant return to Colorado for Alexa Smith. But given her immediate impact on the attack for the CU Buffaloes volleyball team, it hardly was a disaster, either.
While a 14-16 overall record and a 6-14 finish in the Pac-12 Conference — a downward spiral that included losses in nine of the final 11 matches — left a bad taste throughout the program, Smith could at least be heartened that her decision to transfer back to her home state proved to be a wise one.
Smith was one of the bright spots for the Buffs last year, leading the team in kills by a wide margin as a sophomore. While CU coach Jesse Mahoney attempts to assimilate new starters at the setter and libero roles, Smith expects to be the leader of an offense that returns the bulk of its production from 2016.
“I think looking back, obviously we were disappointed with the outcome, but the intensity was always good and I think we return a lot of those weapons,” Smith said. “Coming back into this year, we have a different mindset coming in. We’re more competitive in practice. We were more competitive in our scrimmage. I think that will carry into the season.”
Smith was considered one of the top recruits in the nation when she graduated from Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument, winning the National High School Coaches Player of the Year Award as well as the Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year honor.
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