Cowgirls drop tough five-setter to Utah

Richard Anderson photos
Wyoming setter Dani Bedore talks to head coach Carrie Yerty late in the match Thursday against Utah. At left, freshman Brianna Crowe digs a shot, with libero Jessica Kagarise looking on.

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

The Wyoming Cowgirls came up just short in five sets against the Utah Utes Thursday night at the UniWyo Sports Complex.

Utah battled back from a 2-1 deficit for the 21-25, 25-20, 24-26, 27-25 and 15-13 victory.

This is the second consecutive five-set loss for the Cowgirls and third in league play.

Wyoming (10-11, 1-6 Mountain West Conference) went back and forth with the defending conference champions all night and had a chance to win the match in the fourth set with a 24-22 lead, but the Utes battled back to score five-of-the-last-seven points to win 27-25, forcing a deciding fifth set.

Utah jumped all over the Cowgirls in the final stanza with a commanding 14-7 lead facing the match point, but the home team came roaring back with six unanswered scores to cut the deficit to one. However, that would be as close as Wyoming would get, as the Utes finally scored the match point to edge the Cowgirls and take the match.

“We had 75 digs, which we out-dug that team, we out-blocked that team and we showed a tremendous amount of heart,” UW coach Carrie Yerty said. “We had to change our entire offense. Our setter was injured and Dani Bedore stepped in and had an absolutely incredible match. J Rae (JennaRae Jester) was unstoppable tonight, she showed great poise and composure and you know it didn’t go our way. We had our chances in game four, we had a couple real bad calls that stings, but we had the chance to seal the deal and we just couldn’t get it done.”

Despite the difference in the two team’s records, Wyoming gave the visitors all they could handle.

“We’re ready to take anybody on,” Bedore said. “We’re really not scared to play and we’re confident in ourselves and our ream.”

Stepping in as the starting setter, Bedore recorded 12 digs and 46 assists, while Jester and Jodi Purdy had 11 kills, and Purdy’s 20 digs were also a team high. Lauren Whitney had a match-high of 20 kills.

Utah (13-6, 6-1 MWC), was led by Cinthia Silva’s 16 kills and teammate Keisha Fisher had 17 digs.

Wyoming will face another MWC foe from the state of Utah when rival BYU comes to town Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m., at the UniWyo Sports Complex.

Bedore thinks the key for the Cowgirls to get a win over the Cougars is for the team to not get behind and finish strong.

“We just got to push at the end of the game and not get down so far,” she said.