LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowgirls open Mountain West play at home this weekend when they welcome UTEP for a pair of matches between new conference foes. Wyoming and the Miners will meet at 6:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday.

Wyoming enters conference play at 7-4 and riding a three-match winning streak after going 3-0 at last weekend’s Idaho State Orange & Black Classic. The Cowgirls opened the tournament with a five-set victory over Boise State, followed with a sweep of host Idaho State and closed the weekend with a four-set victory over Pacific.

Rylee Heinz was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Freshman of the Week on Monday after averaging 2.50 kills and 3.13 points per set while hitting .344 across the three matches. Heinz also recorded 13 total blocks, averaging 1.08 per set. During nonconference play, Heinz ranked third in the Mountain West with a .339 hitting percentage and sixth with 0.98 blocks per set.

Emma Winter led Wyoming at 2.83 kills per set last weekend while hitting .347. For the season, Winter ranks 10th in the conference with a .318 hitting percentage. Peyton Carruth ranks third in the Mountain West with 0.38 service aces per set, while the Cowgirls rank second as a team with 1.47 aces per set. Wyoming also ranks third in the league in assists at 11.33 per set and blocks at 2.09 per set, while its .197 opponent hitting percentage is second in the conference.

Paige Lauterwasser continues to lead Wyoming offensively, averaging 2.60 kills and a team-high 2.92 points per set. Lauterwasser is 16 kills away from reaching 1,000 career kills at Wyoming.

UTEP enters its first season in the Mountain West at 8-4 after playing a challenging nonconference schedule. The Miners have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons and advanced to the championship match of the 2023 NIVC.

Mackenzi Davis and Luvina Oguntimehin lead UTEP with 100 and 98 kills, respectively. Oguntimehin averages 2.28 kills per set and ranks ninth in the Mountain West with a .318 hitting percentage. Lauren Perry leads the conference with 0.56 service aces per set, while Kalia Kohler ranks eighth with 5.42 assists per set.

As a team, UTEP ranks second in the Mountain West with a .239 hitting percentage and third with a .198 opponent hitting percentage. The Miners lead the conference in service aces at 1.58 per set and blocks at 2.51 per set.

Both matches will be available to watch on MW+, which carries Wyoming home matches and Mountain West conference games throughout the season.