LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowgirls will play their first road matches of Mountain West action this week when they travel to California for a pair of matches against San Jose State.
Wyoming and the Spartans will meet at 7 p.m. Mountain time Thursday and 2 p.m. Saturday. The Cowgirls enter the weekend 7-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play after dropping both of their matches at home to preseason Mountain West favorite UTEP last week.
Saturday’s loss to the Miners included a milestone for Paige Lauterwasser, who became the latest member of Wyoming’s 1,000-kill club with her fourth-set kill. Lauterwasser now has 1,001 career kills and continues to lead the Cowgirls this season with 2.58 kills per set.
Wyoming ranks in the top half of the Mountain West in several statistical categories, averaging 1.42 service aces and 2.02 blocks per set while hitting .205 as a team. Rylee Heinz has made an impact during her freshman season, averaging 2.02 kills per set, which ranks third on the team, while her .346 hitting percentage is fifth in the conference. Heinz also ranks sixth in the Mountain West with 0.98 blocks per set.
Rya Fingerlin ranks sixth in the league with 3.36 digs per set, while Peyton Carruth leads Wyoming and ranks sixth in the Mountain West with 0.33 service aces per set. The Cowgirls are 1-1 in true road matches this season and won their most recent road contest, sweeping Idaho State at the Orange & Black Classic.
San Jose State enters the weekend 5-8 overall and 0-2 in Mountain West play after opening conference action with a pair of losses at Air Force. Tatiana Robinson ranks ninth in the conference with a .315 hitting percentage, while Learden Lee ranks eighth with 0.86 blocks per set. Zuzana Kosikova ranks third in the league with 0.41 service aces per set and leads the Spartans with 100 kills.
As a team, San Jose State ranks fourth in the Mountain West with a .215 hitting percentage and fourth with 2.08 blocks per set. The Spartans also rank fourth in assists at 11.37 per set and fifth in kills at 12.31 per set. San Jose State is 3-1 at home this season.
