Cowgirls Stymie Falcons in Four
* University of Wyoming press release
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., -- The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team had a big day on the road Saturday at Air Force, beating the Falcons in four sets to split the week on the road. The Cowgirls were impressive on the day, winning 25-16, 25-27, 25-20 and 25-22.
Wyoming (14-5, 3-5 MW) got on Air Force early, jumping out to a 10-2 lead in set one Saturday.
The Cowgirls controlled the entirety of the opening set to take an early 1-0 lead in the match. In the second, a late Cowgirl rally came up just short as the Falcons were able to knot the match up at one set each.
The third set was a lot like the first for UW, as it was in command of the frame for much of the set. The fourth and final set was a back-and-forth affair as neither team was able to open much of a lead. However, the Cowgirls were able to take command late, ending the fourth with four-straight points to turn a 22-21 deficit into a 25-22 set victory.
The Cowgirls were the better team in most categories Saturday. UW hit .297 on the day while holding the Falcons to a .135 hitting percentage. Wyoming also out-blocked the Falcons, 14-10 and had seven more points and six more kills in the win. AFA did have seven service aces in the match to Wyoming’s four.
Rylee Schulz and Paige Lauterwasser had big matches for the Cowgirls in the victory. Schulz tied a career-high with 21 kills on the day and hit .385 against the Falcons. Lauterwasser, meanwhile, had the best day of her young career Saturday. Lauterwasser tallied a career-best 11 kills and hit .500 on the day. The duo also had two blocks each.
Sarah Holcomb and Tierney Barlow added eight and seven kills, respectively from the middle and did most of their damage defensively. Holcomb notched a match-best eight total blocks in the contest while Barlow had four block assists. Kasia Partyka added five blocks for the match.
Partyka had a big day from her setter position as she recorded 46 assists, four kills and seven digs in the win. In the back row on defense, Sierra Grizzle paced the Brown & Gold with 15 digs while also recording three of the Cowgirls’ four service aces.
Next week, Wyoming will split its two contests between home and road. The Cowgirls will host Nevada at 6:30 p.m., Thursday and will travel to face Fresno State at 2 p.m., Mountain Time Saturday.
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