FRESNO, Calif. (March 13, 2021) – The Wyoming Cowgirls bounced back from a tough defeat Friday night to get the series split against Fresno State Saturday, winning on the road in four sets, 25-22, 18-25, 26-24 and 25-19.
The Cowgirls (8-4, 8-4 MW) were much better defensively Saturday, holding the Bulldogs (6-4) to a .214 hitting percentage while tallying 15 team blocks after notching just four blocks as a squad in Friday's loss. UW also got nine service aces in the win and had just two last night.
KC McMahon continued her strong weekend as she led the Cowgirls with a match-high 19 kills while also adding an ace, three blocking assists and five digs in the match. Naya Shimé added nine kills, hit .368 and had three blocks in the win while Faith Waitsman chipped in with seven kills and had seven total blocks.
Jackie McBride and Hailey Zuroske added six kills each with McBride hitting a team-best .556 and leading the way with eight blocks against the Bulldogs. In the back row, Erika Jones and Kaitlyn Gehler each hit double-digits in digs with 18 and 10, respectively. While from her setter position, Abby Olsen had 43 assists and spearheaded a Cowgirl offense that hit .269 on the day.
Much like last night, the Cowgirls started the match strong, scoring the first three points in set one. Midway through the set, Fresno looked to gain control of set one, turning a 12-9 deficit into an 18-16 lead thanks to a 9-4 run. However, four consecutive points from UW put it up 20-18. Fresno would get to within one, 22-21, but the Cowgirls would score three of the final four points in the set to take the early lead.
Also much like Friday night, Fresno State evened the match up at a set apiece thanks to a very strong second set. The Bulldogs trailed 13-11 partway through the second before an 8-2 run gave them a 19-15 lead in the second. Fresno would lead by as many eight points later in the set, 24-16 to win the second.
The third set proved to be pivotal as Wyoming pulled ahead in the match thanks to a come-from-behind victory in the set. After the two teams traded scores the first 17 points of the set, Fresno State pulled ahead to a 16-11 lead and looked to be well-within control of the set. However, the Cowgirls kept fighting after falling behind again by five points, 19-14, thanks to a 6-0 run. During the run, Gehler tallied her two service aces and UW led 20-19. With the third set tied at 21-21, the Bulldogs again looked to be in control, scoring 3-of-4 and earning set point at 24-22. But, the Cowgirls had other ideas, scoring the final four points of the set to win a thriller. McMahon and Shimé both had a kill in the run.
The fourth and final set was all Cowgirls as a 10-2 run at the beginning of the set pushed the Cowgirls to a 12-5 lead. Wyoming led by a comfortable margin most of the set, with Fresno only getting within four points, 22-18, before back-to-back aces from Zuroske gave the Cowgirls match point with Shimé having the honor of closing this out with a kill.
The Cowgirls are now off for a week and will next be in action at home at the UniWyo Sports Complex for a single match Saturday at 6 p.m., as Air Force comes to town.
-WYO-
