PROVO — To put it mildly, it's been an arduous week for the BYU women's volleyball team.
It began with Utah sweeping the Cougars and snapping their 20-game winning streak. The next day, there was the extensive flooding of the program's home, the Smith Fieldhouse. That was followed by a heartbreaking, five-game setback Friday night against Colorado State.
Yet, all's well that ends well.
BYU bounced back from a week-long string of adversity to defeat Wyoming, 3-0 (30-24, 32-30, 30-24), on Senior Night Saturday at the Marriott Center. Prior to the match, the Cougars honored their two seniors, Lauren Evans and Lexi Patterson.
"It was an emotional evening, coming off an emotional loss and with Senior Night," said Cougar coach Jason Watson. "I was real impressed that we stayed composed. I think we got back to that level of confidence that may have been shaken in the last two losses."
That was evidenced by BYU's impressive comeback in game 2, as it trailed 29-26. Thanks in large part to timely serving by Lindsy Hartsock, BYU fought back and won the game, 32-30. In game three, the Cougars finished off the Cowgirls.
The news got even better for BYU (20-2 overall, 11-2 in the Mountain West Conference) when it learned that CSU had defeated Utah Saturday night. The Rams' victory guaranteed the Cougars at least a share of the MWC championship.
BYU plays its final two matches at San Diego State and UNLV next week before heading into the MWC Tournament.
Evans and Patterson never dreamed they would play their final home volleyball match at the Marriott Center rather than their usual court at the Smith Fieldhouse. But they were happy about the result.
"It's good to win in three (games) again," Patterson said.
Patterson added that the back-to-back losses to Utah and CSU will ultimately benefit her team. "We have a lot to go still," she said. "It gives us more to work on. It made us better and made us work hard."
"I think the losses have helped us," said Evans, who recorded a match-high 38 assists. "The streak had to end sometime."
Watson expressed his appreciation for the pair of seniors and their contributions during their careers.
"We always tell our players that we want to end better than we start," he said. "It's been a rocky couple of years during their tenures, but they handled it with class and maturity. They have given their all to this university and to this volleyball program. They have laid a foundation for me as a coach and this program. Their legacy won't end this year, but it will go on."
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