Cowgirls Volleyball Aims for Turnaround After Challenging 2024 Season

Following an up-and-down 2024 season, the University of Wyoming Cowgirls volleyball team is setting its sights on a more consistent and competitive campaign in 2025, Casper Star-Tribune reports.

Head coach Kaylee Prigge and her staff are preparing a younger roster with new leadership and renewed focus after a year marked by injuries and missed opportunities.

The 2024 season began with promise. Wyoming was projected to finish sixth in the Mountain West Conference preseason poll and returned a strong lineup led by All-Conference setter Kasia Partyka and honorable mention outside hitter Rylee Schulz. But the tone quickly changed after Schulz sustained a season-ending injury before the first match. Her absence created a gap in the lineup that challenged team consistency.

Despite the setback, Wyoming started strong, posting an 8-3 nonconference record that included wins over programs like Colorado and Washington State. The Cowgirls remained in the hunt for a postseason berth deep into conference play, but a pair of narrow five-set losses late in the season kept them out of the Mountain West tournament. Instead, the team earned an invite to the National Volleyball Invitational Championship (NVIC), where it advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Arizona.

The team’s final record belied its resilience through a season disrupted by roster changes, forfeits, and a period of time without Coach Prigge on the bench due to maternity leave. As the Cowgirls move on, they must also fill the void left by departing seniors, including Partyka, middle blocker Kayla Mazzocca, and outside hitter Sonte Stewart. Libero Sierra Grizzle transferred to Texas Tech, and Schulz was unable to return from injury.

Spring workouts in March focused on skill development, especially in serving and attacking — two areas where the Cowgirls saw room for improvement after finishing seventh in both aces and digs per set in 2024. The team also ranked second in the Mountain West in blocks (2.53 per set) and fifth in opponent hitting percentage.

Leading the 2025 squad will be a trio of returning seniors: middle blockers Sarah Holcomb and Jordan Sandy, and libero Skylar Erickson. Holcomb was a standout in 2024, leading the Mountain West in blocks and hitting at a .339 efficiency. Junior outside hitter Paige Lauterwasser also returns following an All-Conference season in which she ranked among the league leaders in kills and points per set.

Coach Prigge expects to lean more heavily on Holcomb and Lauterwasser in the offense this season, hoping to generate better scoring balance. With multiple returning contributors, including junior Emma Winter and sophomores Evelyn Udezue, Addy Thorington, and Claire Wagstaff, the Cowgirls are focused on player development and depth.

“(Spring) was a great time for growth,” Prigge said. “It’s where we really build our underclassmen, and we saw a lot of progress, especially from our younger players.”

With preseason training camp set to open in early August, Wyoming will begin its 2025 season at home against Tulsa on August 29. The team hopes to build on last year’s experience and improve its record in close matches — a key factor in securing a spot in the Mountain West tournament, which has remained just out of reach in recent seasons.