Cowgirls Face Rams in Border War Part One

* University of Wyoming press release

LARAMIE -- The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team travels south to Colorado State for the first addition of the 2024 Border War Tuesday with a 6 p.m., contest in Fort Collins against the Rams.

The Cowgirls (9-5, 1-3 MW) came up just short last time out in a five-set loss to Fresno State Thursday. UW, who dropped the first two sets to the Bulldogs, rallied to win the third and fourth sets before dropping the fifth, 16-14.

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Paige Lauterwasser led the Cowgirl offense with 22 kills, just one off her career high. Lauterwasser also added 12 digs in the loss while hitting a .327 efficiency. Sarah Holcomb and Sonte Stewart had 11 kills each with Holcomb tying for the team lead with four blocks and hitting .346.

Holcomb is tied for the league lead averaging 1.37 blocks per set entering this week and ranks 22nd nationally. Kayla Mazzocca is third in the Mountain West averaging 1.32 blocks per set, the duo also ranks 15th and 27th in the country in total blocks this season. As a team, Wyoming’s 159 blocks are 16th.

Offensively, Lauterwasser’s 3.39 kills and 3.75 points per set both rank eighth in the conference. Emma Winter is second on the team and is 19th in the league averaging 2.44 kills per set. Kasia Partyka continues to rank third in the MW in assists per set and is averaging 9.7. Partyka surpassed the 3,000 assists mark in her career at UW in Thursday’s loss against Fresno State.

Colorado State currently tops the league standings at 4-0. The Rams are led by All-Mountain West performer Malaya Jones, who leads the conference in kills averaging 4.27 per set. Jones' 4.78 points per set ranks second in the league.

Setter Emery Herman leads the MW averaging 10.27 assists per set while Naeemah Weathers' .465 hitting percentage ranks second in the league. As a team, the Rams rank in the top three in the conference in hitting percentage, assists and kills while ranking fourth-best in service aces.