(Autumn McPherson Photo)
The Cowgirls have played in numerous five-set battles so far this season. Five, to be exact – two of which they have come out on top of, three which have tilted in favor of their opponents.
Tonight’s match against a New Mexico team that entered UniWyo Sports Complex with a 5-11 league record and no postseason aspirations didn’t seem like the kind of matchup that fit that five-set bill. The Cowgirls came into the contest with their spot in the league championship tournament already clinched – for the first time since the Mountain West tournament was reintroduced in 2021. They did so off the back of a dominating win over sixth place San Diego State on the road – surely fending off the 10th place Lobos at home would be an easy task, right?
It quickly proved to be quite the undertaking, as the Lobos pounced upon a lackadaisical Cowgirl team in the early-goings to take a 2-0 set lead, winning both the first two sets by a score of 25-22.
More work to do.
— Wyoming Cowgirl Volleyball (@WYO_Volleyball) November 21, 2025
Cowgirls drop the first two sets to the Lobos. pic.twitter.com/JMgQ5ybNyN
“This was on my radar as something that could happen,” head coach Kaylee Prigge said, referencing her team’s slow start.
That early jab by the Lobos served as a wake-up call for the Cowgirls, who dug in for the third set, taking it by a score of 25-21. Momentum began to swing in their favor as they dusted the Lobos in the fourth set, taking it 25-18. The fifth set proved to be a struggle, but the Cowgirls would eventually pull ahead to take the final set and match in a 15-12 finish.
“I’m glad we got it out of our system and were able to turn it on midmatch,” Prigge said. “I think that’s really hard to do, but we have to be more consistent.
Punching their ticket to the Mountain West Championships was certainly a pivotal moment for this program – however, Prigge and her staff know the job isn’t done. Her team quickly learned a valuable lesson after finding themselves down 2-0 in one of their final home matches of the season: don’t get complacent.
“It’s awesome that we punched a spot in the tournament, but we need to stay focused on the task at hand and stay in the moment,” Prigge said.
“Playing Wyoming volleyball is a choice, and we didn’t show up to make that choice until the third set.”
It was all Cowgirls once that third set hit, however, as the duo of Addy Cook and Paige Lauterwasser dominated at the point of attack, combining for 40 kills including a career-high 21 for Cook.
“I communicate with my setters a lot, so they play a huge part of that game,” Cook said of her career-high performance.
Setters Sara Quigley and Maddy Stucky both played crucial roles in the victory, with Quigley finishing with 34 assists and Stucky pacing her with 24 assists.
Libero Skylar Erickson was as consistent as ever, as the senior finished with a team-high 21 digs, helping her eclipse the 1,000 career dig mark on her career. Erickson became just the 10th player in program history to reach that threshold.
Big night for Sky! 🌌
— Wyoming Cowgirl Volleyball (@WYO_Volleyball) November 21, 2025
That’s 𝟭𝗞 Career Digs for Skylar Erickson! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/RS9sLCb8L7
The Cowgirls thrilling five-set victory tacks on a win to their record in games that go the distance, evening out their record in five-set matches to 3-3.
They’ve certainly proved their resilience with tonight’s gritty win.
“I think it shows some resilience and it tells you just how talented we are, when we make the right choices,” Prigge said.
The Cowgirls have one last game at home to cement their position amongst the top three teams in the Mountain West, with fifth-place Grand Canyon making the trip to Laramie to close the season.
