LARAMIE, Wyo. (Oct. 24, 2023) – The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team hosts a big week of matches as the Cowgirls welcome Boise State and Utah State to town. Wyoming hosts the Broncos Thursday at 6:30 p.m., before USU comes to town for a 1 p.m., Saturday contest.
The Cowgirls (15-6, 4-6 MW) enter the home week coming off a home-and-road split last week. Wyoming swept Nevada in Laramie before falling at Fresno State Saturday afternoon. Tierney Barlow had a huge match in the victory over the Wolf Pack. Barlow tallied 16 kills and hit .762 in the match. Defensively, Sarah Holcomb led the way with seven total blocks.
Entering the week, Holcomb leads the Mountain West in conference-only play averaging 1.41 per set, as do her 55 total blocks in league action. Kasia Partyka is also a conference-leading Cowgirl as she enters Thursday averaging 10.69 assists per set, which leads the MW and ranks 13th in the nation. Other Cowgirls ranking in the top-10 in the league are Rylee Schulz, whose 3.30 kills per set rank fifth while her 3.78 points per are ninth-best. Barlow, meanwhile, ranks fifth in the Mountain Wet averaging 4.04 points per set.
This week's matches are pivotal for the Cowgirls, who boast an 8-2 record at home this season. After Saturday, Wyoming has just two home matches left in 2023, and will begin a four-match road trip next week.
Boise State is led by multiple-time All-Mountain West honoree Paige Bartsch. Bartsch leads the league in both kills (4.82) and points (5.68) per set. Noelani Helm leads the Broncos and is fourth in the league averaging 9.62 assists per set. Annie Kaminski ranks fifth-best in the MW hitting .347 this season. As a team, the Broncos lead the league during conference matches averaging 13.46 kills per set. BSU is hitting .217 as a team and allows a .213 opponent hitting percentage during conference action. The Broncos defeated UW in four sets earlier this season in Boise.
Mountain West-leading and defending MW Tournament champion, Utah State is solid across the board in all statistical categories this season. The Aggies rank in the top-five in the conference in six different rankings. USU is second in the league allowing just a .193 opponent hitting percentage, second in team assists with 12.40 and in service aces per set with 2.03. The Aggies also rank third-best with 2.45 blocks per set as a squad. Shelby Capllonch ranks ninth averaging 3.28 kills per set and is seventh with 3.95 points per. Kennedi Boyd's .323 hitting percentage ranks seventh-best while her 1.05 blocks per rank eighth. The Aggies handed UW its first loss of the season in Logan earlier this season in the conference opener.
-WYO-
