COLUMBUS, Ohio – Strong play from outside hitter Veronica Jones-Perry helped No. 10 BYU women’s volleyball cruise past Wyoming in three sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-14) Friday morning at Nationwide Arena to kick off the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic.

“I like how we came out ready to play today against a tough Wyoming team,” BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. “We were focused and everyone contributed in the win.”

Jones-Perry led the Cougars with 11 kills on a .276 clip while adding four digs. Mary Lake contributed a team-high 10 digs while Lyndie Haddock added 33 assists and six blocks. Whitney Young Howard and Amy Boswell each collected five and six blocks, respectively, while McKenna Miller put up a team-high 12 kills in the win.

BYU (4-0) and Wyoming (1-4) got off to an even start in the first set, with a Howard kill tying things up a 5-all. The Cowgirls then went on a 6-1 run to take a 12-7 advantage. Helped by a pair of Boswell kills, the Cougars rallied with a 5-0 run to tie the set at 12 apiece. The teams went back-and-forth from there until BYU went ahead 18-16, forcing a Wyoming timeout. A trio of kills from Jones-Perry gave the Cougars set point before a Cowgirl attack error ended the set for BYU, 25-20.

A Haddock service ace helped the Cougars jump out to a 5-3 lead early in the second set. Another pair of kills and a block from Jones-Perry then propelled BYU to an 11-6 advantage, forcing an early timeout from Wyoming. Makenna Santiago contributed a pair of aces down the stretch before another Boswell kill put the Cougars ahead 15-8. The Cowgirls quickly countered with a 4-1 rally of their own to come back within four, down 16-12. BYU, however, continued from there with a 5-0 run to extend its lead to nine, 21-12. Despite a 10-2 Wyoming run, a Jones-Perry kill gave the Cougars the set, 25-22.  

BYU opened up the third set with a 7-2 run to take an early advantage. A trio of Miller kills helped the Cougars stay ahead 10-7, which was then followed by a 7-1 BYU rally to extend the lead to eight at 16-8. The Cowgirls followed with a 4-1 run to come back within five, down 17-12, but four more quick points from the Cougars forced a Wyoming timeout with BYU ahead 21-12. The Cougars cruised from there, taking the set 25-14 on a Miller kill.

BYU returns to action at Nationwide Arena Friday at 5:30 p.m. EDT where it faces off against LIU Brooklyn. Links to live stats can be found on the BYU women’s volleyball schedule page.

PROVO, Utah – No. 10 BYU women’s volleyball hits the road for the first time of the season this week to face off against Wyoming, LIU-Brooklyn and No. 11 Ohio State in the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic.

Last Time Out

The Cougars beat in-state rival Utah Valley, Rice and Cal Poly at home last week to claim the BYU Invitational title. McKenna Miller was named the tournament MVP and Amy Boswell and Lyndie Haddock were also added to the all-tournament team.

Wyoming

• BYU will compete against former Mountain West Conference foe Wyoming Friday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. EDT.
• The Cougars lead the Cowgirls with an overwhelming 68-5 advantage in the overall series and won the latest matchup in 2010 in five sets.
• Wyoming lost a trio of matches last week at the Purdue Mortar Board Premier Tournament, including a pair to ranked opponents in Purdue and Kentucky.
• The Cowgirls went 23-7, 13-5 (3rd) MWC in 2015.

LIU-Brooklyn

• BYU will next play against LIU-Brooklyn Friday, Sept. 2 at 5:30 EDT.
• The Cougars and Blackbirds have never competed against each other in the history of their programs.
• LIU-Brooklyn also lost three matches over the weekend, twice against Boston College and a five-set heartbreaker against Fresno State.
• The Blackbirds went 14-14, 12-2 (1st) NEC in 2015 in head coach Ken Ko’s first season.

No. 11 Ohio State

• BYU will conclude play in the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic Saturday, Sept. 3, against host Ohio State.
• The Cougars and Buckeyes have met seven times before with BYU holding a perfect 7-0 record all-time. The Cougars won the last matchup in five sets against the then-No. 14 Buckeyes.
• Ohio State went 3-0 last week in the North Texas Challenge, knocking off No. 16 Texas A&M to claim the tournament title.
• The Buckeyes went 25-10, 12-8 (6th) B1G in 2015, falling in five sets in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament to end their season.

Additional Info

All three matches this weekend will be played in the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, as opposed to being played on Ohio State’s campus. The matches serve as a precursor to the Final Four matches being played this year on the same court.

Those wishing to attend the matches in person are encouraged to purchase $5 advanced parking online for designated downtown garages each day of competition. Due to the Fashion Meets Music Festival occurring simultaneously, all area garages will be charging $20 for patrons not taking advantage of the codes listed below:

Friday - September 2nd
The $5 rate is available on www.arenadistrictparking.com (under the 'Nationwide' tab) for the McConnell Garage. The coupon code for discounted parking is: volleyball09022016. The pre-purchased parking passes will be valid starting at 6 a.m. and only valid for one entry.

Saturday - September 3rd
The $5 rate is available on www.arenadistrictparking.com (under the 'Nationwide' tab) for the Front Street Garage. The coupon code for discounted parking is: volleyball09032016. The pre-purchased parking passes will be valid starting at 10 a.m. and only valid for one entry.

The matches will not be broadcast this weekend, either televised or on radio. Links to live stats can be found on the BYU women’s volleyball schedule page.