In the 18 seasons from 1989 through 2006, the Colorado women’s volleyball team failed to reach the NCAA Tournament just twice.
The Buffaloes had made just two return appearances since 2006 before last year, when CU backed a solid fifth-place finish in the ultra-competitive Pac-12 Conference with the program’s first run to the Sweet 16 since 1997.
It was a memorable season for the Buffs in their third year under head coach Jesse Mahoney. Yet is was a destination the Buffs routinely expect of themselves. As Mahoney put his squad through spring workouts, the return trip to the NCAA tourney in 2017 hasn’t necessarily raised the bar within the program.