Cowgirls Dispatch of UNLV in a Sweep
Photo courtesy University of Wyoming Athletics
Wyoming controlled the match from start-to-finish
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 2, 2024) – The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team made quick work of UNLV Saturday inside the UniWyo Sports Complex, sweeping the Lady Rebels 25-20, 25-19 and 25-16.
The first set was competitive through the first portion, with UNLV taking a 15-14 lead. After the score was tied at 17-17, the Cowgirls (14-8, 6-6 MW) closed the set strongly, ending on an 8-3 run to take the first. In the second, UNLV scored the first point but that was its only lead of the frame as Wyoming jumped out to an 11-point advantage multiple times in the set. The same script was followed in the third, as the Lady Rebels got the first point before the Cowgirls would go on another nice run to go out in front, 16-8. UW would eventually push the lead to as many as ten points later in the set and cruised from there to close out the match.
Wyoming hit .241 in the victory and held UNLV to just a .115 clip. The Cowgirls also had a 3-1 edge in service aces and tallied 14 more kills (45-31) than the Lady Rebels. Both teams notched 10 blocks as a team in the match.
Claire Wagstaff and Emma Winter both finished with 10 kills to lead the Cowgirl offense. In her first-career action, Wagstaff hit .333 and also notched three total blocks. Sarah Holcomb and Paige Lauterwasser tabbed eight kills each while Kayla Mazzocca added six and hit .500. Mazzocca and Holcomb led the Cowgirl defense with five and four blocks, respectively in the victory.
In the back row, Sierra Grizzle led the team with 14 digs while Skylar Erickson had eight. Kasia Partyka had 37 assists from her setter position and was one dig shy of another double-double, as she had nine. Kendal Rivera led the team with a pair of aces on the day.
Next up, the Cowgirls will host round two of the Border War Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., as Colorado State comes to Laramie for the Mountain West Tuesday Night Block Party.