DENVER – Visiting and 14th-ranked Colorado School of Mines posted 10 blocks while hitting .280 as a squad to capture a pivotal 3-0 road victory over 13th-ranked Regis on Friday evening at the Regis Fieldhouse in Denver.
Mines (20-5, 14-2 RMAC) moved into sole possession of first place in the RMAC standings after both squads entered the match with identical 13-2 conference marks. Mines has now posted two wins over the top-ranked team in the South Central Region, and the victory was the fifth by the squad over a nationally-ranked opponent this season (5-2).
The win by Mines also snaps an 11-match conference winning streak for the Rangers (19-8, 13-3 RMAC), who had not lost in RMAC play since Mines handed the squad a 3-1 setback on September 22 in Golden. The Orediggers have now posted wins in 14 of their last 15 matches.
Friday's contest was the 15th straight-set victory for the squad this season and the team's 14 conference wins sets a new school record – breaking the mark of 13 that was originally set by the 2009 squad.
Mines jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after posting wins by scores of 25-11 and 25-13 in the first two stanzas.
The squad ran into some trouble in the third, and trailed by as much as 9-3, but the team continued to fight back. The squad eventually knotted everything up at 24-24, before posting a pair of points to capture the set, 26-24, and the match, 3-0.
Head coach Jamie Skadeland recorded her 99th career victory as a head coach with the win, and the squad also sits just two victories away from tying the school record for wins in a season (22) that was set in the 2009 season.
Senior Jackie Stabell led the team with 12 kills on a .300 attack percentage while adding four blocks and a dig on the defensive side. Her 12 kills moved her into third on Mines' all-time kill list, surpassing Laurie Alzheimer (1999-2002) with 1,386 career kills.
Fellow senior Holly Hutchison followed with 11 kills on a .409 attack percentage while adding four blocks and a dig defensively as well.
Sarah Pekarek added nine kills and eight digs, while Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood notched her team-leading eighth double-double of the season with 34 assists and a team-high 14 digs.
Hannah Margheim added 11 digs while chipping in three assists on the offensive end.
The Orediggers will continue their touch road stretch with a matchup against No. 23 Metro State on Saturday at 7 p.m.
