LARAMIE, Wyo. (Oct. 27, 2017) – The University of Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team took care of business on Friday night with a four-set (25-21, 20-25, 25-12, 25-17) victory over the Air Force Falcons inside the UniWyo Sports Complex. A hiccup in the second set allowed the Falcons to even the set score, but the Cowgirls weren't spooked the rest of the match and earned their eighth-consecutive victory over the Falcons.
 
"This was a positive win for us," Cowgirl head coach Chad Callihan said. "I liked the way we came out after the second set. I was glad to see us put together a few runs throughout the match. There are still areas we are working on, but we'll enjoy the weekend and get right back to work."
 
Sophomore Tara Traphagan led the Brown and Gold (13-11, 8-4 MW) on Friday night with 13 kills and a .334 hitting clip. She was only behind redshirt freshman Jackie McBride in blocks. McBride tied her career-best with eight, in addition to nine wicked kills. Traphagan, like McBride, was a major key on the defensive end for UW, adding five blocks against the Falcons. Freshman Marissa Harmon put together her sixth double-double of 2017 with a thrilling 38 assists and 11 digs. Harmon also tallied three kills, while sophomore Halie McArdle posted nine kills, five digs and three blocks.  
 
Junior Emily Lewis topped seven kills during the match, with three blocks and two digs. Fellow junior Reed Copeland added some magic in the third set and posted six frightening kills, in addition to three total blocks. Copeland surpassed former teammate Laura Beach and now has 439 career blocks for fifth-place all-time at UW.
 
Sophomore Madi Fields was second on the team with ten digs on Friday night. She also added three assists, while redshirt sophomore Cori Aafedt carved up five digs against the Falcons.
 
Set One
Wyoming was all business in the opening set. Using a 6-1 run early in the stanza, it ultimately set the tone for the evening. Despite Air Force taking a 15-14 lead, the Cowgirls regrouped and ran away with the victory. Five different Cowgirls recorded kills in the first set, with Traphagan leading the way with four.
 
Set Two
The Cowgirls were looking to bring out the broomstick, but Air Force hit .324 compared to UW's .176 in the second set. What briefly startled Wyoming, Air Force seemed comfortable and in control during the set. Traphagan had a team-best five kills during the second frame, while McBride posted three total blocks.
 
Set Three
The Cowgirls came out on fire and lit up the UniWyo Sports Complex like a lantern with a screaming 25-12 set win after intermission. Wyoming jumped out to a 10-3 lead only to be followed with a 20-8 advantage later in the set. UW's .481 attacking percentage showed with 13 kills during the set. McArdle recorded five kills, as Harmon added 12 assists.
 
Set Four
The final set was much like the third with Wyoming hitting .565 to close out the match. A solid 12-6 lead forced the Falcons to call time before Wyoming then went on an 8-4 run to hold an alarming 20-11 lead. Air Force wouldn't shy away easy, but UW took the set, 25-17 and the four-set victory. McBride and Lewis each added three kills in the final frame.
 
 
Up Next
Two very important conference matches are awaiting the Cowgirls next week. UW will face Boise State on Thursday before a Saturday matinee with Utah State. Both matches will be held inside the electric UniWyo Sports Complex.