Cowgirls Fall to Ole Miss in South Dakota State Invitational Opener
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Wyoming Cowgirl volleyball team dropped its first match of the South Dakota State Invitational on Saturday, falling in four sets to Ole Miss (21-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-12). The loss evens Wyoming’s early record at 2-2 on the season.
The Cowgirls came out strong, controlling most of the opening frame before closing on a 6-1 surge to secure the set, 25-21. But from there, Ole Miss seized the momentum. The Rebels led wire-to-wire in the second and mounted a late rally in the third, flipping an 18-13 Wyoming lead into a 25-22 win. Ole Miss then dominated the fourth set to close out the match.
Senior middle blocker Addy Thorington led Wyoming offensively with 11 kills, the lone Cowgirl to reach double digits. Addy Cook added eight kills, while Evelyn Udezue contributed seven. Thorington and Sarah Holcomb paced the blocking effort with three each.
In the backcourt, Skylar Erickson and Paige Lauterwasser anchored the defense with eight digs apiece. Setter Sara Quigley dished out 29 assists and chipped in two of Wyoming’s season-best five service aces, with Udezue also recording two.
Statistically, the Rebels controlled the match, hitting .320 compared to Wyoming’s .109. Ole Miss also posted a 9-4 edge in blocks and finished with nine aces.
The Cowgirls will aim to rebound Sunday morning as they wrap up the invitational against host South Dakota State at 11 a.m
.