On a perfect night, the thunderous opening spike delivered by senior Alexis Austin would have set the tone for a festive, and victorious, season debut for the University of Colorado volleyball team.
This, however, turned into a night that was anything but perfect for the Buffs.
Too many service errors, combined with an often stellar blocking performance by visiting San Diego, helped send CU to a 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 25-18 defeat on the first night of the annual Omni Classic. The Buffaloes, opening their 30th season in program history, will have little time to correct those errors, as they host ninth-ranked Florida State on Saturday at noon.