LARAMIE, Wyo. (Oct. 29, 2024) – The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team continues its four-match homestand with a pair of matches this week inside the UniWyo Sports Complex. The Cowgirls host San Diego State at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Halloween Night. UNLV comes to town for a noon contest Saturday.
Wyoming (13-7, 5-5 MW) is coming off a pair of four-set victories last week at Air Force and at home against New Mexico. Paige Lauterwasser took home Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors after her performance against the Falcons and Lobos. Lauterwasser averaged 4.13 kills and 4.63 points per set in the two wins while hitting a robust .338. Setter Kasia Partyka recorded 44 and 43 assists respectively, during the week.
Defensively, Sarah Holcomb was a force in the middle for the Cowgirls. Holcomb averaged 2.13 blocks per set during the week, including tying a career-high with 11 total in the win at AFA. Holcomb leads the league in blocks now, averaging 1.34 a set. As a team, Wyoming's 2.68 blocks ranks 21st in the nation and is second in the Mountain West. Sierra Grizzle continues to lead the league in digs, averaging 4.20 a set.
As a team, Wyoming's opponent hitting percentage of .178 ranks second in the league while its .228 hitting percentage as a team, is fourth-best in the conference. The Cowgirls also rank fourth in the MW in aces (1.55) and are fifth in assists (11.86) and kills per set (12.71). Wyoming split its meetings with the Aztecs and Lady Rebels earlier this season, less than two weeks ago. The Cowgirls swept UNLV and lost at SDSU.
San Diego State's Taylor Underwood ranks 10th in the Mountain West with 3.20 kills per set while her 3.55 points per are ninth in the league. Shea Rubright's .464 hitting percentage on the season leads the league. Defensively, the Aztecs are led by Gianna Bender's 3.51 digs per set, which ranks seventh in the conference. As a team, SDSU leads the league in kills (13.59) and assists (12.76) per set and is hitting .268 as a squad, which is the second-best mark in the league. Opponents are hitting .194 against the Aztecs in 2024.
UNLV ranks third in the MW averaging 2.53 blocks per set and is led by Jordyn Freeman's 1.25 per, which ranks second in the conference. Arien Fafard leads the Lady Rebels' two-setter system averaging 5.27 per set, which is ninth in the Mountain West. Caleigh King's 3.17 digs per set also ranks ninth. The Lady Rebels are 2-6 in true road matches this season.
-WYO-
