LARAMIE, Wyo. (Aug. 29, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowgirls opened the 2025 season in exciting fashion Friday night inside the Arena-Auditorium. The Cowgirls were able to hold off a late Tulsa surge in the season opener to come away with a four-set victory. Set scores went 25-22, 21-25, 25-17 and 28-26. Both new and familiar faces helped power Wyoming to its third consecutive season-opening win.
Leading two sets to one, Wyoming led in the fourth 23-19 before the Golden Hurricane went on a 5-1 run to tie things at 24-24. The Cowgirls then had three match points after Tulsa tied it, before putting the bow on the win with a pair of points, off a Tulsa service error and a Jordan Sandy kill. The first set was the most-competitive of the night, as it featured 11 ties and five lead changes. The Cowgirls were able to break a 13-13 tie midway through the set, going on a 6-1 run to take a 19-14 lead. From there, they would hold on when it mattered most after Tulsa had cut its deficit down to as few as two points later on in the set. The Golden Hurricane led most of the second set to tie the match at 1-1. Wyoming led nearly wire-to-wire in the fourth to take a two sets to one lead in the contest.
Both teams hit .262 offensively on the night but the Cowgirls held their biggest advantage at the service line and defensively at the net. Wyoming had four service aces on the night to Tulsa's two, but committed just eight serving errors while Tulsa made 15 miscues while serving. The Cowgirls also enjoyed a 12-8 edge in team blocks in the victory.
Paige Lauterwasser led a trio of Cowgirls with double figure kills as she registered a match-best 15 on the night. Sarah Holcomb had 11 while Addy Thorington, making her first career start, notched 10. Addy Cook added nine kills.
Defensively, Holcomb picked up right where she left off last season, tallying six total blocks, four solo and two assisted. Sandy also picked up six block assists in the win. In the back row, Skylar Erickson and Rya Fingerlin paced the Cowgirls with 12 digs apiece.
Sara Quigley had 44 assists to the opener in her first career action for the Brown & Gold. Four Cowgirls, Erickson, Fingerlin, Lily LaFlesch and Sandy each had a service ace.
The Cowgirls return to action Saturday evening with a 6:30 contest against Cleveland State, also inside the Arena-Auditorium.
-WYO-
