LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 1, 2022) – The Wyoming volleyball team hits the road this week for its final full week of road action of 2022. The Cowgirls head to Nevada for a 7 p.m., contest Thursday, November 3 before closing the week Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. against San Jose State.
Wyoming (10-14, 6-6 MW) is coming off a 1-1 week at home last week to end the month of October. The Cowgirls swept Fresno State before falling to San Diego State in four sets. Naya Shimé led the Wyoming offense with 25 kills in the two matches while KC McMahon added 22. Setter Kasia Partyka averaged an incredible 12.1 assists per set last week while the Wyoming offense hit .299 overall, including a season-best .330 against Fresno State.
With a third of the regular season left to be played, the Cowgirls are currently tied for fifth in the Mountain West standings along with Boise State. The top six teams in the league standings will play in the Mountain West Tournament Nov. 23-25 hosted by Colorado State. Following this week, UW will play three of its final four matches at home.
Cowgirl student-athletes continue to rank towards the top of the league in statistical categories this season during league play. Shimé ranks fourth in the MW in kills per set at 3.66 while her 3.93 points per ranks ninth-best in the conference. Tierney Barlow continues to tally an impressive hitting percentage during her freshman campaign as she currently sits sixth in the league hitting .375 during Mountain West play. Partyka, meanwhile ranks third in the league averaging 10.44 assists per set while Hailey Zuroske ranks fifth in digs per set at 3.54.
Nevada is led by multiple-time All-Mountain West honoree Kayla Afoa's 341 kills and 3.75 per set while Gabby McLaughlin is second on the team with 294 kills. McLaughlin ranks seventh in the league in service aces per set at 0.35. Andrea Alcaraz ranks seventh in the MW averaging 6.08 assists per set this season. As a team, the Wolf Pack ranks fifth in the league averaging 2.33 blocks per set while individually, Bella Snyder is fourth in the MW averaging 1.12 blocks per set while Jordan Schwartz is 10th at 1.02 per. In the back row on defense, Hikialani Kaohelaulii is fourth in the league averaging 3.82 digs per set in 2022.
San Jose State, who is currently a match behind the conference lead, is led on offense by Amethyst Harper's 3.43 kills per set, a mark that ranks eighth-best in the MW. Harper's 4.09 points per in 2022 ranks fifth. SJSU is second in the league averaging 1.64 aces per set and has three individuals in the top-10 in the league, led by Harper's 0.36 per set, which ranks fourth. Libero Sarah Smevog leads the league averaging 4.57 digs per set on the season while setters Mia Schafer and Carly AignerSwesey rank eighth and 10th, respectively averaging 5.87 and 5.36 assists per set, respectively.
Despite losing earlier this season to both Nevada and SJSU, the Cowgirls have enjoyed success against both programs in program history. Wyoming is 16-4 all-time against Nevada and is 5-2 on the road against the Wolf Pack. UW enters Saturday's contest 14-7 all-time against the Spartans and is 7-1 in San Jose.
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