Former Wyoming Volleyball Coach Carrie Yerty Passes Away

* University of Wyoming press release

LARAMIE -- The University of Wyoming athletic community mourns the death of former Cowgirl volleyball head coach Carrie Yerty. She passed away Tuesday following a long battle with cancer.

Yerty became the head coach for the University of Wyoming Volleyball team prior to the start of the 2008 season. She led the Cowgirl Volleyball program for five seasons from 2008-12.

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During Yerty’s tenure at Wyoming she helped numerous student-athletes gain All-Conference and All-America recognition. Jodi Purdy was named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2009 in addition to being named to the All-Conference team each of the next three seasons. Erin Kirby earned her first two (2011 and ’12) of four All-Conference awards under Yerty’s coaching, while Becky Stewart garnered her first (2012) of two All-Conference awards while Yerty served as Cowgirl head coach.

Purdy was also an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region selection in 2011 and ’12 and was named an Honorable Mention AVCA All-American both of those seasons. Yerty had 26 of her Cowgirl student-athletes earn Academic All-Mountain West honors during her Cowgirl coaching tenure.

Yerty most recently coached at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tenn. Before retiring toward the end of the 2022 season, she won three consecutive state titles with the Saints in 2018, ’19 and ‘20.

She arrived at Wyoming after serving as head coach at the University of Memphis for 12 seasons from 1996-2007 . When she left the Tigers’ volleyball program, she was the winningest coach in school history, recording 233 wins.

Before Memphis, Yerty was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Arizona (1994-96) and prior to that held the same positions at Eastern Washington (1992-94).

Yerty played her collegiate volleyball at Washington State from 1988-91. She was a three-time All-PAC 10 performer while also receiving Honorable Mention All-America recognition.

Yerty is survived by her husband, Lee, and her three sons, Wesley, Jace and Cade, as well as her parents, Mr. and Mrs. CR Couturier of Gig Harbor, Wash.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Carrie Yerty Courage and Discipleship Fund at Briarcrest Christian School.