LARAMIE – Cowgirl volleyball wants to set a program attendance record when the season begins against Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Arena-Auditorium.
 
No matter how many Wyoming fans show up, there will be one cherished face missing from the crowd.
 
Emma Winter's mother, Jennifer, who attended most of the Cowgirls' matches last season while battling pancreatic cancer, died Jan. 26.
 
Winter, a senior outside hitter, reflected on playing through her family's painful tragedy as she prepares to lead the Cowgirls alongside two-time all-Mountain West selection Paige Lauterwasser.
 
"It was really hard," Winter said. "I think that it was hard being away from home, but it was also really hard being there. Every time I'd go home, it would just look a little bit worse and then a little bit worse, and I think that was really hard. I know it was really hard on my sister who was in high school and she was just always home, you know, witnessing everything that comes with having stage 4 cancer.
 
"But it meant a lot that she was able to come to a few of our games when she wasn't getting treatment or feeling really bad. I just know that she's always with me."
 
Kaylee Prigge was a little worried about Winter when Jennifer's first "heavenly birthday" arrived earlier this month.
 
Then UW's fourth-year head coach checked her phone.
 
"I'm scrolling through Instagram and like half of our team is at Rib & Chop at dinner celebrating her mom's birthday," Prigge said. "So just things like that, I think, how much can I check in? How much can I show that I care. Those are things I'm asking myself, and I don't know that I'm always nailing it, to be perfectly honest."
 
Winter has felt the support from her UW volleyball family since her mom's diagnosis in the spring of 2025.
 
The Cowgirls hosted a blood drive last August in honor of Jennifer, who attended the sold-out event wearing brown and gold with a purple ribbon, the color used to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Winter and many of her teammates were among the donors.
 
"(The support) is overwhelming," an emotional Jennifer told the Laramie Boomerang.
 
UW hosted a "Purple Out" match against Air Force last September. Prigge and her staff wore purple and the Cowgirls wore purple ribbons in their hair. The Falcons presented Winter and her mom with a bouquet of flowers before the emotional match in the UniWyo Sports Complex.
 
"It just means a lot," Winter said of the memories during this year's preseason media day event. "I actually was getting flashbacks because one year ago was our blood drive and she was up here with me and it was just very special."
 
Winter is looking forward to a special season as the Cowgirls prepare to compete in the reshaped MW by challenging themselves with a difficult non-conference slate.
 
During her decorated prep career at Broomfield High School in Colorado, Winter was recruited by former UW head coach Chad Callihan. She ended up playing in the Big 12 at West Virginia.
 
"I wanted to go to a big school, a big program and another thing was I definitely wanted to get away from home a bit," Winter said. "I loved the friends that I made there and everything that happened there made me who I am today. I'm grateful for it and I'm grateful for the experience, but I'm very glad that I ended up here."
 
Prigge, who replaced Callihan as head coach before the 2023 season, was one of the first people to reach out to Winter when she entered the transfer portal in 2024.
 
"What a blessing it's been," Prigge said of getting a second chance to recruit Winter. "With everything she's gone through on a personal level I've thought about how much harder it would be for her to have gone through last year being across the country.
 
"No matter how it happened, I'm happy she's a Cowgirl now."
 
During her first season at UW, Winter finished second on the team with 286 kills (2.40 kills per set), 127 digs and 51 blocks. She led the team in kills 10 times, had 15 or more kills 10 times and recorded a career-high 19 kills against Boise State.
 
Those statistics understandably dipped last season when Winter appeared in 43 sets and tallied 77 kills.
 
"There was definitely a lot that I had to work through last year on and off the court," Winter said. "I struggled with confidence a lot last year. I mean, comparison is a thief of joy. I know that's so frequently used, but it's so true. This year I feel a lot more confident in myself and my ability, and I know what I'm capable of. I'm very excited for the season."
 
Prigge said Winter's "aggressive mindset" returned toward the end of the 2025 campaign as she helped the Cowgirls finish third in the MW and make the program's first appearance in the conference tournament since it was reintroduced in 2021.
 
The team bonded during a European trip over the summer before tuning up with two exhibitions at Northern Colorado last weekend.
 
The Cowgirls will try to open the season with a win over the Red Raiders.
 
"I love that pressure, I love playing in a big arena," Winter said. "We're trying to break our attendance record, and I think that we can really do that. We need people to show up and show out, and I'm so excited."
 
The largest crowd for a UW home volleyball match was 4,081 on Sept. 20, 1994, when No. 1 UCLA visited the Arena-Auditorium.
 
Winter's biggest fan will be with her in spirit as the Cowgirls return to the court.
 
"I definitely think she feels like she's playing for something bigger than herself," Prigge said. "What a cool thing to have."
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.