LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 28, 2021) – Senior middle blocker Jackie McBride was selected to the Preseason All-Mountain West Volleyball Team and Wyoming was picked to finish third in the league as a team in the preseason predicted order of finish and Preseason All-Mountain West Team announcement Thursday by the league office.
McBride, who was selected to the All-Mountain West Team following last season for the third time in her career, was second on the Cowgirls last season with 310 kills and 2.61 kills per set. McBride led UW with a .360 hitting percentage last season, a mark that ranked third in the league and was seventh in the conference with a team-high 150 total blocks. McBride also led the Cowgirls with 412.5 points a season ago.
The Cowgirls were picked to finish third in the league by the conference's head coaches with 80 total points and also received one first-place vote. In 2019, UW finished second to Colorado State in the MW with a 16-2 record in conference play. The 16 conference victories are the most in a single season in program history.
The Cowgirls finished last season with a 22-9 record overall and made their third consecutive postseason appearance as Wyoming hosted the first two round of the NIVC Tournament. With its first round sweep over Northwestern State in the NIVC, Wyoming recorded its first postseason victory since 1989. The 22 wins were the sixth-most in program history and the fifth 20-win season under Head Coach Chad Callihan.
Wyoming returns seven letter winners from last season's record-breaking squad and in addition to McBride, an All-Conference honoree in KC McMahon, who led the Cowgirls and was seventh in the league with 361 kills last season.
UW begins its 16-match conference-only schedule February 5 and 6 as it travels to face Utah State. The Cowgirls' home-opening series is Feb. 12 and 13 as New Mexico comes to town for 6 p.m., and 11 a.m., matches, respectively.
Due to capacity restrictions in the UniWyo, a very limited number of tickets will be available for students that can be requested at www.Gowyo.com/tickets beginning Feb. 1.
Spring 2021 Mountain West Volleyball Predicted Order of Finish (first-place votes):
1. Colorado State (5) – 92
2. UNLV (4) – 90
3. Wyoming (1) – 80
4. Boise State – 76
5. San Diego State (1) – 70
6. Fresno State – 48
7. Nevada – 41
8. Air Force – 33
9. San Jose State – 28
10. New Mexico – 25
11. Utah State – 11
Spring 2021 Mountain West Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year:
Breana Runnels (Colorado State)
Spring 2021 Preseason All-MW Team:
Lauren Ohlinger (Boise State)
Alexa Roumeliotis (Colorado State)
Breana Runnels (Colorado State)
Ciera Zimmerman (Colorado State)
Desiree Sukhov (Fresno State)
Sarah Smevog (San Jose State)
Mariena Hayden (UNLV)
Jackie McBride (Wyoming)
-WYO-
