In the season’s early stages, the new-look Colorado volleyball team has displayed a knack for getting things done at crunch time.

Yet the Buffaloes couldn’t quite finish the job against a familiar foe on Sunday.

CU fell short of completing a weekend sweep as the host of the Buffs Classic, dropping a five-set decision against former Pac-12 Conference rival Washington on Sunday. After topping Georgia in five sets on Friday and sweeping Fresno State on Saturday, the Buffs faltered after taking the early lead against the Huskies, with UW prevailing 24-26, 19-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-13 at the CU Events Center.

The defeat ended a modest three-game win streak for the Buffs, and it also was CU’s first defeat in three five-set matches.

CU outlasted the Huskies for an extra-time win in the opening set, then took a seemingly secure 2-0 lead by winning the second as well.

But the Huskies didn’t go away. UW scored six straight points during an 8-1 run that took control of the third set, later scoring the final five points to cut CU’s lead to 2-1. The Buffs were within a 21-18 of UW in the fourth set, but the Huskies pulled even by posting four of the final five points.

The Buffs won five-set battles in the season opener at North Texas and again on Friday against Georgia, but couldn’t get over the hump in a back-and-forth deciding frame against the Huskies. CU jumped to a 7-4 lead, but a 7-1 run by UW gave the Huskies an 11-8 advantage. The Buffs rallied into a 13-13 tie, but UW secured the final two points to complete the comeback.

Ana Burilovic posted a career-high 25 kills to lead CU’s attack, but she also committed 17 of the Buffs’ 38 attack errors. The glut of errors led to a .093 hitting percentage for the Buffs, against a .196 mark for the Huskies. CU setter Taylor Simpson recorded 40 assists, while sophomore middle blocker Cayla Payne finished with 15 kills and five blocks.

Payne and Simpson were named to the Buffs Classic all-tournament team. Washington’s Kiune Fletcher, who led the Huskies with 13 kills against CU, was named the tournament MVP.

CU (4-2) will try to shake off the defeat during a busy four-match week, beginning with a state rivalry showdown at home against Northern Colorado on Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN+). The Buffs then host another three-match showcase next weekend, the Buffs Invitational, beginning with a Friday match against UC Irvine (7 p.m., ESPN+).