The 3-1 (25-19, 25-13, 25-21, 25-23) Colorado State win against Wyoming is no trick, and redemption sure is a treat.
As everyone dressed up as their favorite characters, the Rams got a shot at redemption from a very familiar foe: the Cowgirls.
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“It was awesome to get revenge from when we were at their place,” coach Emily Kohan said. “I’m really proud of the team and how we executed our scouting report to serve really hard.”
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the No. 3 ranked Rams against the No. 8 ranked Cowgirls.
Emery Herman’s outstanding achievement of surpassing 1,000 assists this season during the third set was the bright spot during the set, as the Rams failed to sweep.
It was almost déjà vu from the third set against Utah State Oct. 26, and at one point, Wyoming had a 19-13 lead over CSU.
Sensing the passion to come back, the crowd got louder to oppose an eight-point scoring run from Wyoming.
“It was pretty frustrating,” Malaya Jones said. “But I think it was something that we had to realize: We can’t let them get on, and we have to be able to close the gaps a lot quicker.”
The Rams needed a fourth set to get the win against the border-state rivals, setting their focus on one of Wyoming’s best players: Tierney Barlow.
“We came into the match just focusing on shutting her down,” Jones said. “Aggressively, even a little too much, just making sure she didn’t have anywhere to go.”
And it worked: Barlow’s season low for kills was seven, but thanks to CSU’s defense, it’s now six.
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For the Rams, Jones had an important night, matching her season best for kills with 23.
“It’s great, obviously, I love to see it,” Jones said. “We’re playing well, we’re performing well, so this gives me the confidence to keep going.”
Annie Sullivan was a great compliment to Jones. Sullivan’s 13 kills on the night helped CSU avoid a fifth set.
“It feels good,” Sullivan said. “Whatever I can (do) to help our team and these last couple of games conference are really crucial.”
As Kohan sat on the edge of her seat, the final set came down to the wire. The defense of CSU showed determination and came through to win the game.
“We’ve told our team we’re in control of our own destiny,” Kohan said. “And if we can continue to win out, we can be second in the conference.”
The Rams (14-10, 8-5 MW) go back on the road after a three-game homestand, taking on San Jose State (12-13, 3-9 MW) 7 p.m. Nov. 2 in San Jose, California.
Reach Liv Sewell at sports@collegian.com or on twitter @Liv_sewell22.
