MATCH WEEK
Utah Volleyball will hit the road for its final non-conference weekend, traveling to Laramie, Wyoming for the UniWyo Invite. The Utes will play three matches over the span of two days, starting with a pair of matches on Friday, Sept. 20. Utah begins the weekend on Friday at 10 a.m. MT, taking on the Great Danes of UAlbany, before facing Coppin State University at 3 p.m. MT for its second match of the day. The Utes return to action on Saturday, Sept. 21, taking on host Wyoming at 1 p.m. MT. Fans can tune in to the Mountain West Network to catch all three Utah matches.
QUICK HITS
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Vanessa Ramirez ranks fourth all-time in career digs for the Utes with 1,527. She recently eclipsed the 1,500 dig milestone, in the first match of the Loyola Invitational, and is currently averaging 3.38 digs per set.
• As a team, Utah has averaged 13.9 kills per set with 12.50 assists per set. From the service line, the Utes are averaging 1.8 aces per set. On the defensive side of the net, Utah is recording 15.1 digs per set with 2.7 blocks per set.
• Utah will meet two first-time opponents over the weekend, in UAlbany and Coppin State.
• The Utes restore an old Mountain West rivalry, taking on Wyoming. Outside the former conference affiliation, the two sides have a longstanding connection, as Wyoming was the first team Utah faced in 1975 for their first official match as a collegiate program.
• The last time Utah and Wyoming squared off was in 2015 at the Gonzaga Invitational with the Cowgirls taking the match in straight sets.
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Kamryn Gibadlo leads the Utah offense with 86 kills, averaging 3.31 kills per set. She also leads the team from the service line with 14 aces.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
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Allie Olsen ranks 22nd in the nation and first in the Big 12 in blocks per set, averaging 1.45.
Lauren Jardine (1.39) comes in at 31st in the country for blocks per set.
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Kamryn Gibadlo ranks 40th in the country for aces per set, with 14 total averaging .54 per set. Gibadlo ranks second in the Big 12.
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Emrie Satuala rounds out the top 50 in the country in hitting percentage, ranking fifth in the Big 12, hitting .389.
SCOUTING UALBANY
This will be the first meeting between Utah and UAlbany, as the Great Danes bring an overall record of 3-6 into the matchup. The Great Danes are coming off three losses a week ago at the Dog Pound Challenge, hosted by UConn, falling to Dartmouth (2-3), Delaware State (1-3) and UConn (2-3). Shynelle Woroniuk leads the UAlbany attack with 128 kills through nine matches, averaging 3.56 kills per set. The Great Danes will look to a supporting cast of Kendall Harris, Anna Myhal, Tori Wilson, Gabriella Karman and Elisavet Papageorgiou each averaging more than a kill per set. On the receiving side, Sthefany Carvalho leads the Great Danes with 103 digs, averaging 4.29 digs per set.
SCOUTING COPPIN STATE
Coppin State owns a 4-8 record heading into its first-ever meeting with Utah on Friday. The Eagles are currently on a four-match skid, falling 0-3 in three consecutive matches last weekend to Loyola Maryland, Lehigh, and Towson. TaKenya Stafford leads the Coppin State offense with 142 kills, averaging 3.38 kills per set. Coppin State is supported by Ayanna (2.24), Sophia Metoyer Bertotti (2.10) and Gabriela Zuquelo each averaging two or more kills per set. Bertotti Metoyer and McKenzie Parks lead the Eagles at the net with 27 blocks each. Coco Fiueroa leads the team in both digs (259) and service aces (16).
SCOUTING WYOMING
OVERALL: 44-25 | H: 23-9 | A: 15-15 | N: 6-1
Beth Launiere vs. Wyoming: 32-11
Wyoming owns a 6-2 record heading into its final weekend of non-conference competition. The Cowgirls come off a 1-3 weekend at the Buffs Invitational at Colorado, where they fell in back-to-back battle against California (1-3) and UC Irvine (2-3), before taking down host Colorado (3-1) in the final match. Paige Lauterwasser leads the Wyoming attack with 99 kills, averaging 3.00 kills per set. Leading the Wyoming defensive effort, Kayla Mazzocca (49) and Sarah Holomb (46) with 40+, averaging over 1.4 blocks per set. Sierra Grizzle has tallied 141 digs through eight matches, while Kasia Partyka (15), Sierra Grizzle (12) and Skylar Erickson (11) lead the Wyoming service effort with double-digit aces.
UP NEXT
Utah Volleyball will return home to the Jon M. Huntsman Center to make its Big 12 debut on Thursday, Sept. 26, taking on Texas Tech at 7 p.m. MT. The Utes will round out its first home weekend with a battle with former Pac-12 foe, Colorado, taking on the Buffalo at 1 p.m. MT on Sunday, Sept. 29.
FOLLOW THE UTES
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @UtahVolleyball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahvolleyball), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360.
OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF UTAH ATHLETICS – UTAH 360
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