Kaleb Poor
University of Wyoming Volleyball, led by their newly-branded all-time leader in digs, cruised past their Northwestern State opponents in their first match of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Thurs. night. The Cowgirls will take on Weber State in the next round of the tournament today.
Riding on strong defensive play by Jackie McBride and Madi Fields – the latter of whom was honored during pre-game festivities for becoming UW’s all-time leader in total digs – all the Cowgirls had to do was wait out the Lady Demons to cruise to their 22nd win of the season.
Madi Fields embraces head coach Chad Callihan – photo by Kaleb Poor
McBride, animated and energized as always, said “no” to the Lady Demon offensive attack on 5 seperate occasions, collecting 5 blocks for the Cowgirls through the short contest. McBride added 8 kills.
Fields didn’t take a game off after becoming a record holder; the senior libero scooped a game-high 17 digs, holding true to her consistent back-row defensive play. Fields ended the evening with 1,720 digs in her career.
The Lady Demons were their own worst enemies throughout the night, racking up double-digit service errors and 17 attack errors through just three sets. The game at 7,220 feet was plagued by overlong hits as the ball continually sailed over both teams’ back lines.
Despite attempting only 98 total attacks to the Lady Demons’ 110, the Cowgirls outscored their out-of-town opponents 53-45. The Cowgirls also scored far more efficiently, hitting with .357% efficiency and adding 5 service aces by 4 players. Dismal by comparison, the Lady Demons hit with just .209% efficiency and scored only 2 service aces.
Hallie McArdle rears back for a hit against Northwestern State – photo by Kaleb Poor
KC McMahon was an offensive powerhouse for the Cowgirls, burying 17 kills under the Lady Demon defense and hitting .500 on the night. The sophomore outside hitter has been a major offensive weapon all year and head coach Chad Baldwin has used her well; McMahon nearly tied her season high of 18 and bringing her total kills this season to 411.
The win takes Wyoming volleyball to a stellar 22-8 record overall this season. The Cowgirls remain at 16-2 in Mountain West play, secure in second place behind Colorado State.
Next up for the Cowgirls will be the Weber State Wildcats, who defeated Boise State earlier in the tournament. At 24-8 overall this season, the Wildcats are expected to be a tough opponent despite Wyoming’s considerable home-court advantage. First serve will be at 6:30 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex.
