News Summary
The Wyoming Cowgirls volleyball team is gearing up for their first road matches of the season at the South Dakota State Invitational. They will face Ole Miss and South Dakota State, both streamed live. Wyoming has a strong historical record against these teams and aims to continue their solid start after a successful home tournament. With key players leading in kills and assists, the Cowgirls look to build momentum going forward.
Laramie, Wyoming — The Wyoming Cowgirls volleyball team is set to compete in the South Dakota State Invitational for their first road matches of 2025. The Cowgirls will face Ole Miss at noon Mountain Time on Saturday and South Dakota State (SDSU) at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Both matches will be streamed live for a fee on Midco Sports Plus.
Historically, Wyoming holds a 3-1 record against Ole Miss, although this matchup marks their first encounter since 2003. The Cowgirls boast an undefeated record of 3-0 against SDSU, with the last meeting taking place in 2023. This upcoming competition marks the first time Wyoming will play at SDSU.
Wyoming began the season with a strong performance during the Rumble in the Rockies tournament, finishing with a 2-1 record at home. The Cowgirls achieved victories over Tulsa and Cleveland but suffered a loss to Colorado. Sarah Holcomb and Paige Lauterwasser both led the Cowgirls offensively, each recording 34 kills, which ranks them tied for fifth in the Mountain West and averages 3.40 kills per set. In addition, Holcomb ranks fourth in the league with an average of 4.20 points per set. Freshman Sara Quigley has also made an impact, averaging 10.80 assists per set, placing her fourth in the Mountain West. Defensively, Jordan Sandy leads the team with an average of 1.38 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the conference. As a whole, Wyoming ranks within the top five of the Mountain West in four statistical categories, including third in digs per set (16.20) and fourth in blocks per set (2.50).
On the other side, Ole Miss started their season successfully, winning 2 out of 3 matches at the Georgia Tech Classic, with their only loss against No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech. Gabi Placides led Ole Miss with an impressive average of 4.25 kills per set during their opening weekend. Mokihana Tufono contributed significantly with an average of 10.08 assists per set. Defensively, Cammy Niesen recorded an average of 4.08 digs per set, while Tessa Jones contributed with 10 blocks. Ole Miss averaged 12.33 kills per set but struggled with a hitting percentage of only .194 over their first three matches.
SDSU, coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, split their matches with Northern Iowa during their opening weekend. The Jackrabbits recorded a four-set win against Illinois but lost in four sets to Northern Iowa. Sylvie Zgonc led the SDSU team with 4.13 kills per set. The Jackrabbits also showed solid defensive numbers, averaging 2.75 blocks per set and 17.38 digs per set. Last season, SDSU posted an impressive home record of 10-1. Notably, SDSU’s head coach Dan Georgalas is a former assistant coach at Wyoming.
The Cowgirls will return home on September 18, 2025, to host Long Beach State, Idaho State, and Portland for their second tournament of the season. During the UniWyo Invitational, Wyoming will also unveil a brand new Taraflex court.
In addition, it should be noted that Kiley Ballek scored the only goal in a recent match against Colorado Mesa, resulting in a 1-0 victory for Wyoming. The match statistic showed a total of 14-6 shots in favor of Wyoming. Goalkeeper Haley Bartel recorded her fifth shutout of the season in this match. Following the upcoming twin matches against South Dakota State and South Dakota, scheduled for Thursday and Sunday, respectively, the Cowgirls will continue to build on their early season momentum.
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Additional Resources
- Wyoming Cowgirls Volleyball: Come Up Just Short
- Wikipedia: Wyoming Cowgirls
- Wyoming Cowgirls Volleyball: Host UniWyo Invite
- Google Search: Wyoming Cowgirls Volleyball
- Ballek’s Goal Lifts Cowgirls Over Colorado Mesa
- Google Scholar: Wyoming Cowgirls Soccer
- Wyoming Cowgirls Volleyball: Shine Late in Opening Win
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Wyoming Cowgirls
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