Sun, who helped USAs U-20 national team earn silver at a tournament in Florida last summer

BOULDER, Colo. -- The Colorado Buffaloes were greeted by a swarm of fans upon their early morning return last weekend.That sort of welcoming brigade hasnt happened often in recent memory. Neither have wins of this magnitude.The new and improved Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) stunned Oregon 41-38 in Eugene behind the performance of freshman quarterback Steven Montez. They try to follow it up Saturday as an 18 1/2-point favorite against Oregon State (1-2).As for a possible hangover effect, well, Colorado insisted the page has been turned. This is a team on the cusp of appearing in the AP Top 25 poll and trying to make a bowl appearance for the first time since 2007.Our goal every week is to go 1-0 and our ultimate goal is to be Pac-12 champions, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie said. In the grand scheme of things, it definitely helps that and we were happy after the win. But now were just trying to focus in on Oregon State and keep this train rolling.Everyone around campus appears on board, because the looks are way friendlier these days. The conversations, too.We sense a lot more trust among people and they trust us to come out with wins this time around, receiver Bryce Bobo said.The schedule certainly doesnt get any easier with the remaining teams after Saturday a combined 17-9. Theres also this: Colorado hasnt exactly followed up big wins with a string of more big wins.The Buffaloes knocked off a ranked West Virginia squad in 2008, only to go 2-7 the rest of the way. They beat Georgia in 2010, but followed it up by going 2-6 during a season in which then-coach Dan Hawkins lost his job.Being in all those close games has definitely helped us build to where we are now, Awuzie said. Weve gone through so much adversity that I feel as though, whatever comes at us, well be ready.Beavers coach Gary Andersen appreciates what the Buffaloes have accomplished under coach Mike MacIntyre, whos in his fourth season at Colorado. Andersen is trying to revitalize the program in Corvallis.Theyve continued to recruit and battle like crazy and fight in games and get better and better, Andersen said. And now theyre starting to see those Ws come their way.Things to know as Oregon State and Colorado meet for a ninth time (the Beavers lead 5-3):DECISIONS, DECISIONS: MacIntyre has quite a QB quandary -- go with senior captain Sefo Liufau on a hurt ankle or the freshman Montez who has the hot hand. Montez accounted for 468 yards of total offense in the win over the Ducks. Liufau has broken virtually every school passing mark during his time at Colorado. We need both of them, because somebodys going to get dinged up, MacIntyre said. We need both of those guys ready to play.HEAVYWEIGHTS: The Buffaloes feel like theyve earned the right to climb into the ring with the heavyweights again. We used to be a welterweight. I think we stepped up to at least being able to spar with the heavyweights, MacIntyre said. The more games we win, well see if were a heavyweight.FAST START: The Buffaloes have scored on their opening possession in every game this season. For good measure, theyve also gotten points in three of their four opening drives in the second half. Theyve built themselves a very good football team, Andersen said. Theyve ground through the process without question. Theyre playing well.BOLDEN ADVENTURE: Oregon States Victor Bolden Jr. leads the nation with a 40.2-yard average on kickoff returns. Whats more, he has two plays covering 90 or more yards -- one on a 92-yard sweep against Idaho State and another on a 99-yard kickoff return last weekend against Boise State . Bolden hurt Colorado last season with four returns for 110 yards. Hes a huge difference-maker, Andersen said. Victor is having a nice year for us at this point.MORE OFFENSIVE: The Beavers are averaging 28 points in three games, which is up from a season ago. Theyre allowing 25 points -- also an improvement. They are a much-improved football team from last year when we played them, said MacIntyre, whose team beat the Beavers 17-13 last season in Corvallis to end a 14-game conference skid.---AP Sports Writer Anne M. Peterson contributed.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org John Gibson Ducks Jersey . Collaros, 25, was solid last season, posting a 5-2 record as the starter while incumbent Ricky Ray was injured. Collaros also started Torontos 23-20 regular-season finale loss to Montreal — Ray didnt dress because the Argos had already clinched first in the East Division — but was one of three quarterbacks to play that day. John Gibson Ducks Jersey . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. http://www.authenticduckspro.com/ . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. Jean-Sebastien Giguere Ducks Jersey . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). Teemu Selanne Jersey . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. The Red Zone refused to relent. Energizing its home gym in Solana Beach, California, Santa Fe Christians student section jumped and shimmied and yelled Bounce! Bounce! Bounce! before each Long Beach Poly serve in the first round of the state Open Division playoffs last month.SFCs 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter, Lexi Sun, the nations top recruit who recently signed with Texas, logged a forceful kill in the second set that landed into the Zone. Her classmates clawed to get a fingertip on the ball, fighting for position the way fans at a concert vie for a pop stars tossed hairband.Sun, the 2016 ALL-USA Player of the Year, kept her cool as Poly fought back, 24-22. Sun smiled, patted a teammate on the back and, in a blink, threw down two monster kills with ease.Its like she floats and then a cannon goes off, said Brad Sandusky, SFCs sports information coordinator, shaking his head at the scorers table.Behind Suns 25 kills and three blocks, SFC defeated Long Beach Poly 25-21, 26-24, 25-22. Sun, who has attended the school since kindergarten, looked back at the net. She has spent hours here perfecting her swing.Things arent just going to be given to you, Sun said. You have to truly work day in and day out for the things you want. You cant take days off. You cant take plays off.Grabbing the micTwo hours before the Poly match, Sun helped take down the basketball hoops from the boys practice and began dribbling a volleyball.Can you dunk? a boy asked.I havent really tried, Sun said.With a jump touch of 10 feet, 9 inches, she probably could. Her father, Conrad, played basketball for Sacramento State and for the Taiwanese national team. Her mother, Beth, was a competitive swimmer. Her brother, Marcus, played basketball for Wheaton College, and her sister, Natalie, was an NAIA All-American soccer player at Azusa Pacific.Sun, an Under Armour High School First Team All-American, was awarded the 2016 Best Spiker Award for the U.S. Junior National Team. Shes also a four-time all-tournament team honoree at the USA Junior National Championship Tournament.She can do things that very few people in the world her age can do, said Ozhan Bahrambeygui, her coach at Coast Volleyball Club. Shes explosive. She has an attacking range that very few people have. She has an elastic arm, she picks great lines of attack and shes a super-dynamic blocker.She might even be a coach.Before a league match against rival The Bishops School (La Jolla, California), Sun walked to the front of the locker room after coach Amanda Miles finished her pregame speech. Sun, hardly ever seen without a smile, grew serious. She paced back and forth in front of her teammates.When shes talking, senior Sami Shields said, everyone listens.Suns energy radiates. She relishes debates. She jumps and waves and shouts friends names when she sees them across the football field. Shes the first to break out on the dance floor at homecoming. She sings shortly after waking up at 6 every morning.Her pregame speech for Bishops started off slow. All right, guys, its game day, Sun said, raising her voice as each second passed. We can DO THIS, she said. We dont have ANYTHING to lose. Sun finally exploded. THIS IS OUR GAME!!!!SFC pulled off the upset for the first time. Everyone was asking, Wow. Where did that come from? I havent seen you play that kind of volleyball in a while, Miles said. It might have been the pregame speech.Sun asks Miles to stay after practice every day for extra serve receive. Even when Miles immplemented more into practice one day, Sun still asked to stay later: Just 10 more minutes, Coach, she said.dddddddddddd Just 10 more minutes.She wants to challenge herself, Miles said. Its her way of saying, Im not going to take the easy way out. Nothings givenEleven-year-old Sun cried, screamed and kicked in the car ride to her first-ever volleyball practice.She had been a soccer player, a forward, on a team that had won back-to-back State Cup championships. Her parents suggested she try volleyball, as she had sprouted to 5-10. If she didnt like it, she could quit.Sun hated it. Her mind understood the coachs directions, but her body couldnt translate them into movements. She huffed after every mistake, bursting into tears when her parents picked her up.Once Sun made friends, she began to have fun with the sport. Then she began to like it. Then she began to love it. Then she began to need it. The game came easy -- she was tall, she jumped high -- and she received her first college letter in sixth grade.Then, she faced women more experienced and, in some ways, more talented than her. Just a freshman, she was the youngest on the USA U-23 national team that competed at the world championships in Mexicali, Mexico. She hardly left the bench. It was a humbling experience, Sun said.When she came back from that, Conrad said, I think her experience was, In order for me to get to the next level, I need to work really hard. I want to own this. I want to do this for myself. She continued to be challenged, becoming the leading scorer on the U-18 national team that won silver in Peru in summer 2015, her junior year. Coach Jim Stone, who would make the team redo plays until they were immaculate, challenged Sun to limit her hitting errors, something she struggled with.I would always get away with making those little errors and people would just say, Oh shes young, she still has to grow, she still has time, Sun said. I think that made me realize, OK. Nows the time. There cant be any more excuses. I need to find a way to get better. Sun, who helped USAs U-20 national team earn silver at a tournament in Florida last summer, practiced religiously. She received hundreds of Division I letters, which didnt stop even after she verbally committed to Texas in April 2015. As the nations most sought-after recruit, she was constantly told how great she was.Her parents werent having it. They rarely talked about volleyball, not wanting Sun to get caught in the hype and lose her drive. It was, Get your homework done. Lets get dinner. Were going to church. Regular stuff, Beth said. Were still like that.Sun, who also considered Stanford, USC, UCLA, Washington, Penn State, Nebraska and Minnesota, said she felt a connection with Texas beyond volleyball. After staying for seven hours on her first visit, and getting to know the coaches, players and even former Longhorns, Sun felt Texas was the best fit. Texas, which already features some of the best outside hitters in the nation in sophomore Micaya White, junior Ebony Nwanebu and senior Paulina Prieto Cerame, plays Stanford Saturday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN) for the national championship.Aiming to play at the U-20 world championships in Mexico this summer, Sun already is preparing for the challenge of college ball.You always have to work for something worth having, she said.Just 10 more minutes. ' ' '