Early in her volleyball career, young Kasia Partyka suffered a foot injury in her native Poland, while playing outside hitter, that sidelined her for some two months.

It turned out to be a fortuitous setback for her, and eventually for the Wyoming volleyball program.

A native of Strzyzowice, Poland, Partyka has made a tremendous impact for the Cowgirls, not as an outside hitter, but as a setter, and is a major factor in why the Cowgirls have gotten off to their best start in program history.

Heading into this weekend, Partyka led the nation with 12.27 assists per set, and at this early stage of her Wyoming career is on the cusp of entering the program's career-assist Top 10, in just one full season, and the first seven matches of this one.  

Now to the injury.

"I left home at age 15, and went to boarding school to play club volleyball at LTS Legionovia near Warsaw," Kasia said.  "My family and I felt that I needed to do that in order for me to be serious about the sport I loved.  It was at my second boarding school and club (GKS Wiezyca Stezyca, north of Polland near Gdansk) that I sprained my ankle.  I was in a boot and couldn't practice.  During our practices, there was not much I could do, so I would set the ball against the wall over and over again.

"The sister-in-law (Ewelina Wilnska) of my coach (Dawid Michor) was at practice one day, and was watching me set against the wall. She is a setter and professional volleyball player in Poland and now plays for a club named Grot Budowiani Lodz in a professional volleyball league.  She told me and coach that she believed I should change to setter because of my form, and my volleyball IQ. She told me she wasn't sure I'd make it as a hitter. I became a setter."

The rest, as they say, is history.  

Kasia realized her dream of coming to the United States, attending college and playing high-level volleyball when she was recruited by, and played for Cal State, Long Beach. At that point of her young career, Wyoming was not in the picture.

"While I liked Long Beach, we had a very difficult season my freshman year, and went through a coaching change," Kasia says.  "I felt it was best for me to transfer at that point.  I connected with the Wyoming coaches, and had several zoom meetings with them.  I was just very comfortable talking to them, and I liked what heard. I felt like Wyoming was my best choice to continue my career."

Kasia came to Wyoming sight unseen.  "I knew what I was getting into, and was very excited to join the team," she says.  "It was the best choice I've ever made.  I love it here.  I love the small-town vibe because I'm from a very small town out in the countryside.  I love the coaching staff and my teammates."

She admits that it was difficult leaving her family for boarding school at such a young age.  But she wanted to find out if volleyball could be her future, and needed to compete with a high-level club team.  She got that experience at both boarding schools she attended.

"It was difficult leaving my family, but they supported me all along the way," she says.  "They wanted me to be happy and to follow my goals and dreams.  They would come to a lot of my matches, and I'm very hopeful that they can come to the U.S. one day to watch me here."

While it takes all of 24 hours for her to fly back to Strzyzowice, Kasia does get home for Christmas break, and following the spring semester in May and June. "I miss them terribly, but we all understand that this is best for me, and it's what I want to do."

It was Kasia's older sister, Julia, who got her interested in volleyball.  "She was playing volleyball, and would bring me along to practice.  I just loved it.  She was way shorter than me (Kasia is 6-feet), and ended up not sticking with volleyball.  I did."

Not only is she good at what she does, but Kasia also has tremendous stamina.  She was one of two Cowgirls to play in all 120 sets of the team's season a year ago.  She is on pace to do the same thing this season.

"As a setter, you want to be in control, and that drives me, keeps me going.  It's gets tiring sometimes, but  I'm happy to have the coaches' trust, and believe me I'm not complaining."

What makes a good setter in her mind? "You must have the trust of your teammates first.  You gain that by putting them in the best possible positions to be successful.  You have to believe in them too.  It's making good decisions which comes from experience, and you have to be a leader. You are touching the ball on every single play, so the team looks to you.  You have to be athletic because there are lots of crazy plays, and you have to react very fast."

That explanation perfectly describes the way Kasia goes about her job.

Partyka was a member of the Polish U-19 National Team, and was named the Best Setter of the U-19 Polish Club Championship in 2020.  This past summer she was selected to play on the Mountain West Conference Global Challenge Team that traveled to Croatia to play exhibition matches as a good-will initiative.  The team was comprised of players from around the league who toured together.

Obviously she is very good at making adjustments.  When one leaves home at 15 or 16 that has to happen.  

"The first time I left home was pretty hard," she admits.  Leaving the family was so difficult.  Then I moved further away to the north of Poland, then across the ocean.  So I just got used to it.  But the first few weeks at Long Beach were difficult for me.  The language was a barrier.  In Poland we learned English beginning in kindergarten.  But when I got over here, I found I was okay listening English, but speaking it correctly was harder. So, I was pretty quiet for a while.  But I adjusted."

Kasia raves about her mother's cooking, and she loves Polish food.  But again she's adjusting to American food.  "My mother's best dish? I love her Pierogi which is a dumpling filled with different things from sweet to savory.  You can have cheese in them, potatoes or just about anything.  I made them for my teammates, and I think they really liked them," she laughs.

What's her favorite American food?  After thinking for a moment, she says, "I guess burgers are my favorite.  But I enjoy eating at our (athletic department) training table."

When she has completed her career at Wyoming, her goal is to play professionally.  She dreams of playing in places like Italy or Turkey.

But she is majoring in psychology, and would love to go into sports psychology at some point to help fellow athletes.  "People think athletes are supposed to be tough, but we deal with issues like anyone else.  There are times in our lives when we are vulnerable.  The mental health of athletes is extremely important. Talking to a psychologist does not mean your 'soft'.  It's just the opposite.  It takes a lot of strength to do that.  I want to help athletes with that."

Spend time visiting with Kasia, and you get the feeling she is going to be successful at whatever she wants to do, and Wyoming volleyball is at the top of her list.