Cowgirls Battle to the End, Fall in Four-Set Thriller at South Dakota State
BROOKINGS, S.D. (Sept. 7, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowgirls showed grit, fire, and fight on Sunday afternoon but ultimately came up just short in a nail-biter against South Dakota State, closing the SDSU Invite with a 3-1 loss (20-25, 28-26, 25-21, 26-24).
Fast Start, Familiar Script
For the second straight match, Wyoming (2-3) came out swinging. The Cowgirls never trailed in the first set, riding early momentum to a confident 25-20 victory. Energy was high, the bench was loud, and it felt like UW had complete control.
But the Jackrabbits (3-1) had other plans. Despite trailing by five early and 21-17 late in the second set, SDSU stormed back. They erased Wyoming’s cushion, fought off set points, and snatched the frame on their fourth try, swinging the momentum of the match.
Momentum Swings and a Wild Finish
South Dakota State carried that surge into the third, taking command on the way to a 25-21 win.
The fourth set, though, was the kind of drama Cowgirl fans will remember. It featured 17 ties and eight lead changes — a tug-of-war that had every fan on the edge of their seat. Wyoming led 20-17 late, looking poised to force a decisive fifth set. But SDSU once again had the final push, reeling off four straight points and closing the match with back-to-back scores.
Rising Star Steps Up
If there was a silver lining, it came from freshman outside hitter Addy Cook, who turned in the best performance of her young career. Cook hammered down a match-high 19 kills on an efficient .341 hitting percentage, showing fans a glimpse of her potential as a future star in Brown & Gold.
She wasn’t alone. Veteran middle blocker Addy Thorington powered home 14 kills, while Sarah Holcomb and Paige Lauterwasser each added eight.
Defensive Backbone
On defense, Evelyn Udezue led the blocking effort with four assists at the net, while Holcomb added three. In the back row, Skylar Erickson dug deep for a season-high 17 digs, with libero Lily LaFlesch chipping in 10 to keep long rallies alive.
Wyoming finished with a 6-5 edge in service aces, but costly errors from the line (eight total) hurt at key moments. SDSU finished with a slight advantage at the net (nine blocks to Wyoming’s eight) and hit .220 compared to the Cowgirls’ .210.
What’s Next?
The road doesn’t get any easier. Wyoming now heads south for the Fight in the Fort tournament hosted by TCU. There, the Cowgirls will face an elite lineup of opponents, including No. 16 Missouri, 24th-ranked TCU, and Rhode Island.
For a young Cowgirl squad still finding its rhythm, it’s another chance to grow battle-tested before Mountain West play begins
.