LARAMIE, Wyo. (Aug. 17, 2017) -- Head coach Chad Callihan and the University of Wyoming volleyball team will conclude preseason practices with an exhibition match against Northern Colorado and the annual Brown and Gold scrimmage this weekend.
Friday’s match in Greeley is set to begin at 6 p.m. MT, while the Brown and Gold scrimmage will commence at 6:30 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex. The Brown and Gold scrimmage is free and open to the public and fans will be able to receive autographs from their favorite Cowgirls when the scrimmage is complete.
Callihan and his staff welcome back ten letterwinners from last year’s fourth-place MW team. UW went 18-13 overall and 11-7 in Mountain West play. The Cowgirls were selected to finish fourth in the 2017 MW Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which was released Wednesday. It marked the third-straight season UW was picked to finish within the top four teams in the conference. In all, the Cowgirls consist of three seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen.
UNC finished the 2016 season second in the Big Sky Conference North Division with an 18-11 record and 12-4 mark in Big Sky play. UNC lost to Idaho State in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. The Bears are returning nine letterwinners from a year ago and were recently picked to finish second in the 2017 Big Sky Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
To officially begin the 46th season for Cowgirl volleyball, Wyoming will welcome Abilene Christian, Portland and South Dakota for the Rumble in the Rockies tournament Aug. 25-26. The Cowgirls will open the season next Friday against South Dakota at 6:30 p.m.
A Few Quick Notes:
-Junior Reed Copeland has started 50 consecutive matches dating back to September of her freshman season in 2015.
-Copeland needs nine blocks to move into the top-ten list at UW. She currently has 338 total blocks.
-Sophomore Madi Fields finished the 2016 season eighth in digs per set (3.16 dps) during conference play. She was the only freshman within the top ten.
-Fields led the team with 297 digs last season. The last true freshman to lead UW in digs was Carissa Lee in 2005. Lee is third all-time at UW with 1,141 digs.
-Senior Lily Austin enters her senior season having competed in all 92 matches during her first three seasons.
-Of the three seniors, Austin is the only four-year member. Wyoming has compiled 64 wins the past three seasons.
-Faith Waitsman is the first Arkansas native to don the Brown and Gold for Cowgirl volleyball.
-Callihan’s 85 wins at UW are second most in program history, while his 47 conference wins are most in Cowgirls coaching history.
-Wyoming will open the 2017 season at home against South Dakota on Aug. 25. The Brown and Gold have won five consecutive season-opening home matches.
