Down 18-11 in the third set, tied in sets at one apiece, WSU got a block from Lucie Blažková. The block sparked a quick 8-0 run that put the Cougs ahead in the set. From there, they stayed close until when, down 23-21, the Cougs rattled off four straight points to take the set 25-23.
With two match points, the Cougs gathered momentum but allowed Wyoming to get back into the fourth set and eventually win it.
Their third-set comeback became the highlight of the opening match for the 2024 season, culminating in a 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 21-25, 25-17, 15-11) loss for the Cougs.
In her 100th career match, Katy Ryan tied for the team lead with 14 kills but also committed seven attack errors, third most on the team. A common problem amongst the team, Ryan trailed Weronika Wojdyla (8) and Sage Brustad (12) for most errors committed Friday.
Six of the 35 total attack errors came in the decisive fifth set, a set where the latest Coug lead came after a service error put them ahead 8-7.
Despite eventually dropping the match in the full five sets, WSU led in every major statistical category. They had more kills (56-50), aces (5-4), tied in blocks (14-14), assists (55-49) and digs (86-81). The two programs were also comparable in terms of individual performances, with neither side having a single player stand head and shoulders above the rest.
For the Cougs, Brustad got a majority of the looks, tallying 56 attacks or just over 30% of the total attacks for the Cougs offense. Four other players had double-digit attempts, with Wojdyla (39), Ryan (36), Blažková (21) and Breccan Scheck (18) joining the transfer.
All five returners got into the match, with Blažková having the best performance on the team. In tallying nine kills on .238% hitting, she finished with the best hitting percentage and third in kills. She also tied for the team lead with six blocks and had an additional two digs.
With a stellar performance, she has already proven to be a key cog in the 2024 system after sitting and learning under some WSU greats last season.
One major difference from the opening match of 2024 and the majority of the 2023 season is the fundamental progression of the offense. After using Argentina Ung as a setter nonstop in 2023 and 2022, Jaden Walz and Italia Bernal split the responsibility of setting the opener. Walz finished with 23 and Bernal with 19, but both played significant roles in setting up the offense against Wyoming.
