100 matches of rivalry began and ended with Colorado State volleyball on top.
CSU swept Wyoming in a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-18) match Saturday in the classic Border War.
“(The rivalry game) means a lot,” Kekua Richards said. “It was super cool, just being able to remember that there was (46) years before us that played this exact game.”
Despite losing to UW a month ago in a five-set match, the Rams were fired up for revenge, keeping their opponent below 20 points in all three sets.
Leading this effort was first-year Halle Jameson, achieving a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs.
While not her season high in either, it was clear that she has a positive impact on the team and could be one of the main sparks to bring CSU volleyball to the next level.
“She did great,” Eve Wilson said. “She took care of all her one-on-ones. … I think we passed really well so we were able to just have a really balanced offense.”
Jameson’s talent helped to combat Cowgirl Sarah Holcomb, whose five blocks were like a brick wall.
As the second team in blocking in the Mountain West, UW lived up to its expectations, forcing the Rams to be exceptionally offense heavy.
Assisting with this powerful offense were Richards and Wilson, who acted as two sides of the same coin.
Richards managed to stack up 12 kills in Saturday’s match and reached a hitting percentage of 36%, meanwhile Wilson nearly got her a second double-double in a row, with 10 kills and the most blocks of the match at nine.
By consistently switching off in matches, Richards and Wilson were able to always force down the ball, whether in blocks or kills.
One strength that came into play for the two was being able to draw attention and blocks towards themselves, opening up opportunities for the outside hitters to sneak past the block.
“So the first thing is we passed and ball handled well enough to be able to set our middles that many times,” head coach Emily Kohan said. “But then as the block starts focusing on (Richards and Wilson) then, it helps Maria (Brun), (and) it helps Halle.”
As two powerful forces, it is essential for them to be balanced and spread out to excel in what they do best.
By working together and separately, they’re able to be a support system for the team while challenging their fellow Rams through competitiveness.
“We are very tough love, stern leaders on this team,” Richards said. “Obviously, we’re two very physical players, so having that pressure, but also providing different opportunities for our other players as well.”
And time after time, Richards and Wilson are found encouraging their teammates and fighting for the ball.
However, a noticeable trend throughout the game was when it came to long, scrambling rallies, the Cowgirls often won, firing up their team more than ever.
Whether it was their strong blocks or a struggle to adapt by the Rams, this was something UW took advantage of multiple times to gain a lead in the match. Yet these leads wouldn’t last for long, as CSU’s Brun quickly turned the tides with her strong kills, stacking up a total of 10.
The versatile team, currently on a four-game winning streak, continues to look ahead as they only have one more month till the MW championship tournament.
In terms of preparation, the key is consistency.
“As you get to the last five weeks of your season, you want to start ironing out statistically and from their individual performances, that this is what we expect every day, and you become more consistent,” Kohan said.
Reach Sophia Schaller at sports@collegian.com or on X @sophschaller.
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