COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 21, 2023) – The Mountain West Conference is celebrating its 25th season as a league in 2023-24 and is celebrating with its 25th Season Team for each conference-sponsored sport. The team is comprised of the 25 best players in conference history in each sport, as voted on by a league panel. A total of three former volleyball student-athletes were chosen to represent the Cowgirls, announced Tuesday by the league office. Erin Kirby (2011-14), Jackie McBride (2017-21) and Jodi Purdy (2009-12) were all selected to the team.
Kirby is one of nine student-athletes in league history to be named All-Mountain West four times in her career. Kirby, who finished second in the nation her junior season averaging 1.77 blocks per set, is first in program history with 714 career blocks. Kirby is also second all-time in UW history with a .354 hitting percentage and is second all-time in sets played with 478.
McBride became the only student-athlete in Mountain West history to be named to the All-Mountain West Team five times in her career back in 2021. McBride is No. 1 in program history with 502 career sets played. She finished her illustrious career third all-time with a .338 hitting percentage. McBride also graduated fifth in career blocks in program history with 549 and is 10th all-time with 1,085 career kills.
Purdy was a two-time (2011, '12) Honorable Mention All-America selection and is one of just two Cowgirls (Darcy Cudaback, 1989) in program history to receive All-America accolades. Purdy was also a two-time AVCA All-Region selection and is one of only nine Cowgirls to be named all-region, and the only Cowgirl to be selected twice. A three-time All-Mountain West selection, Purdy was also named the league's Freshman of the Year in 2009. Purdy is Wyoming's all-time leader in career kills with 1,559 and is second with 136 career assists. She is also third in program history with 1,278 career digs and finished fourth all-time with 462 sets played in her career.
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