#16 Mines vs. Black Hills State, Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [Video]
#16 Mines vs. S.D. Mines & Tech, Saturday, 5 p.m. [Live Stats] [Video]

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LAST WEEKEND REWIND
Two conference road matches; two victories. That's what the Colorado School of Mines did last week when they defeated both Colorado Christian and Westminster. First, the Orediggers got a fierce battle from CCU in Lakewood, but we able to hold off the upset-minded Cougars, 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-22, 30-28). They followed that match up with a dominant sweep in Salt Lake City by the scores of 25-8, 25-11, 25-23.

WITH HONORS
Helping Mines pull of the road victories were junior setter Marina Hansen and senior libero Taryn Huber who were named the RMAC Setter and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively. Hansen collected her first career RMAC honor by dishing out a whopping 92 assists for an average of 13.1 a/s while also posting 22 digs for a 3.14 d/s average. Huber captured her second consecutive defensive player of the week award by collecting 46 digs (three more than last week) in seven sets for a 6.57 d/s average. 

IN THE POLLS
The Orediggers kept their ascent up the AVCA polls as they moved up one spot to #16 in this week's rankings. Mines remained as the only team from the RMAC still in the national rankings with MSU Denver and Colorado Mesa still just outside the top-25.

IN THE RMAC STATS
Another week of play sees the Orediggers continue rise in prominence in the RMAC statistical rankings. Mines leads the league in hitting percentage (.253) and assists per set (13.29). They are also second in kills per set (14.13) and blocks per set (2.09).

Individually, Alanna Winfield upped her lead in kills per set to 4.16 while also sitting sixth in the league in hitting percentage at .336. Speaking of hitting percentage, Ellie Monarch is tops in the conference at .409. Taryn Huber is second in the conference in digs per set as she averages 5.60 a game. Marina Hansen checks in fourth in assists at 10.57 while Winfield and Madeline Behr are tied in ninth-place with 0.91 blocks a game.

SERIES RECORDS
Mines hold a 7-1 all-time advantage over the Black Hills State, and have won the last seven straight. This will only be the sixth ever meeting between the two schools of mines with S.D. Mines & Tech holding a 3-2 all-time lead. The Orediggers did win last year's meeting though; in a sweep. 

SCOUTING BLACK HILLS STATE
Black Hills State enters Friday's contest with a 2-9 overall record and a winless 4-0 mark in the RMAC. While the Yellow Jackets are one of the conference's top defensive squads (18.48 d/s, 2.93 b/s), they are also statistically one of its worst offenses (10.70 k/s, .101 hitting). Lacy Stevens is tops in the conference with 5.84 d/s while Fehrin Ward and Cheyenne Palu pace the RMAC with 1.43 b/s each.

SCOUTING S.D. MINES & TECH
The Hardrockers come into the weekend really struggling with a 1-13 overall record and winless in the conference. SDSMT is dead last in the RMAC in both kills (9.81) and assists (9.25) per set. None of the Hardrockers rank within the top-10 of any individual statistical category. Emily Newton and Caryn Hazard are the top attackers as they average 2.11 k/s.