GOLDEN – Led by a 17-kill effort from senior All-American Melanie Wannamaker, as well as diving defense on the back end, the No. 19 Colorado School of Mines volleyball team battled through a 15-block performance from visiting Black Hills State to post a 3-0 victory on Friday evening at Lockridge Arena.
The Orediggers (10-4, 4-1 RMAC) captured the match behind set scores of 25-16, 25-19 and 25-23.
Mines limited Black Hills State (5-9, 1-4 RMAC) to a .176 attack percentage during the match, while the host Orediggers pounded down their 58 kills at a .275 hitting clip.
Wannamaker knocked down her 17 kills – her 16th consecutive game with 10 or more kills – on a .571 attack percentage to lead all players on the floor in both categories.
Sophomore Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood, the two-time reigning RMAC Setter of the Week, dished out 50 assists and posted 15 digs for her team-leading sixth double-double of the season. Johnson-Hazlewood entered the weekend second nationally in assists per set.
Junior Sarah Pekarek and rookie Alanna Winfield added 14 kills apiece on a combined 69 attacks while Pekarek added seven assists.
Johnson-Hazlewood's dig total led all players, while senior Hannah Margheim added 13 and freshman Taryn Huber added 10.
The squad came out firing in the first set and used a 70 percent sideout rate and a .308 attack percentage en route to a 25-16 opening-set victory. Winfield, Pekarek and Wannamaker combined for 16 kills during the first set alone.
The squad carried over its strong offensive attack from the first set with a .455 attack percentage in the second, including eight kills by Wannamaker en route to a 25-19 victory.
The third set saw Mines trailing past the opening points of the set for the first time of the night when an attack error gave BHSU a 10-6 lead. Mines captured six of the next eight points to tie up the score at 12-12. The two squads traded the next eight points to once again come to a tie at 16-16 before tying up the score once again 22-22.
Mines would be undeterred in its quest to win its third straight as the squad used a pair of kills by Winfield and another by Ashlyn Eitemiller to close the set 25-23, and the match, 3-0.
Mines will close its home swing on Saturday with a 5 p.m. matchup against Chadron State at Lockridge Arena.
