Mines (13-4, 6-3 RMAC) vs. CSU-Pueblo (7-10, 5-4 RMAC) – Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (13-4, 6-3 RMAC) vs. New Mexico Highlands (1-16, 0-9 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m.  [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 
NOTE: Both matches to be played in Volk Gym.
 

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GAME DAY INFO
New in 2019, fans can purchase digital tickets online in advance via Mines' new ticketing portal, or buy them at the gate on game day. Ticket pricing remains the same as 2018 at $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, military, and children. Mines students, faculty, and staff are free with their Blaster Card. No pets (except service animals) are permitted inside Volk Gym.
 
PARKING
It is Homecoming and there are a lot of events taking place on Mines' campus. Fans planning to attend the volleyball matches will want to plan ahead. Volk Gym is located at 1312 Illinois Street, Golden, CO, 80401. Parking is free after 5 p.m. on Friday and all day Saturday. There is street parking all around Volk Gym as well as Lot S, the GRL Lot near the Geology Museum. Check the campus map HERE for all your parking options.
 
ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines home game and all RMAC contests can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at minesathletics.com/tv. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC".
 
HOMECOMING 2019
The Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team is back in action in Golden this weekend for Homecoming 2019 as they host CSU-Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands inside historic Volk Gymnasium. Back-to-back, 1-1 weekends have the Orediggers in a tie for #4 in the RMAC Standings, but still within reach of #1. In order to accomplish that task, undefeated weekends will be a must as every team in the league looks to knock off the defending champions.
 
CATCHING UP
Mines traveled to Utah last weekend where it took down Westminster on Friday and fell to Dixie State on Saturday. Friday saw a 3-1 decision over the Griffins in which Amanda Donais knocked down 13 kills while Elle Duis racked up 28 digs and Drew Stokes dished out 47 assists. Additionally, Abby Tiesman surpassed 1,000 career kills with 12 in the match. Saturday's result was a five-set heartbreaker despite Tiesman's 23 kills, Elle Duis's 23 digs, Stokes' 46 assists and a pair of double-doubles courtesy of Tiesman and Stokes. It marked Stokes' fourth straight double-double and Tiesman came one block shy of a triple-double.
 
SCOUTING CSU-PUEBLO
Colorado State University at Pueblo comes into Golden as a dangerous 7-10 (5-4 RMAC) team. The ThunderWolves sit in a three-way tie for seventh place in the RMAC standings which puts them on the fringe of a potential berth in the RMAC Tournament. That being said, CSU-Pueblo has already defeated Colorado Mesa in five sets and also took nationally-ranked Regis the distance as well before falling in the fifth. Brooke Schilling leads the offense with 170 kills. Grace Hern and Kelsey Bell coordinate it all, touting 342 assists and 253 assists, respectively. On defense, it's Kyle Meltzer with 263 digs and Jazzy Espinoza boasting 70 blocks. Also of note are Espinoza and Meltzer both over 20 service aces on the season. As a team, CSU-Pueblo ranks #24 in the nation in total blocks and #31 in blocks per set.
 
WHAT'S A THUNDERWOLF?
A made up animal and the nickname for CSU-Pueblo Athletics. That's what a ThunderWolf is. In the context of CSUP, the thunderwolf is a mythical creature intertwined in legend with colors reflecting Colorado's diverse geography. However, maybe a little history is in order. Colorado State University-Pueblo was previously known as the University of Southern Colorado with Indians as the nickname of its athletics teams. However according to CSU-Pueblo's athletics website, "The University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) adopted the "ThunderWolf" as its mascot prior to the 1995-96 academic school year. The ThunderWolf came to life as USC looked to modernize its image following over 60 years of being known as the "Indians." The term Thunder Wolf (Thunderwolf/Thunderwolves) is part of a number of pop-culture references, but, as previously mentioned, is not actually part of the existing animal kingdom.
 
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
New Mexico Highlands will first play UCCS in Colorado Springs before making the jaunt up to Golden on Saturday. The Cowgirls have exactly one victory on the year and it came in five sets against Southeastern Oklahoma State on opening weekend. That puts NMHU amid a 13-match losing streak that includes eight sweeps. Sierra Foley is tops on offense thanks to 123 kills over 46 sets while hitting .147. Celina Naranjo serves as the lead setter with 262 assists. Defensively, Bryanna Lopez leads with 245 digs and Taley Ferrari has 49 blocks.
 
COWGIRLS – ACTUALLY FROM COLORADO
New Mexico Highlands' women's teams are known as the Cowgirls. Interestingly enough, the first woman to ride a bronc at the Cheyenne Frontier Days was Bertha (Kaepnerik) Blancett from Colorado. So some might argue that cowgirl is more Colorado than New Mexico. The concept of the rodeo cowgirl took off from 1904 until the late 1920's. Women like Mabel Strickland and Bonnie McCarroll built names as some of the top rodeo competitors in the country. However, the urban audiences that attended rodeos became less comfortable with women competing against men and the transition to "ranch girls" or rodeo queens began. By 1936, women were excluded from rodeo main events and by the 1940's, women were relegated to sponsor girl roles and pageant-like competitions with horsemanship displays. Women provided a response to that relegation in 1948 when 38 ropers, bronc riders and barrel racers came together in San Angelo, Texas and created the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA). This history seems appropriate considering the proximity to National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebrated on Feb. 6 – earlier this month.
 
VOLK GYMNASIUM
While Mines volleyball typically calls Lockridge Arena home. The festivities of homecoming weekend have moved Friday and Saturday's matches back into historic Volk Gymnasium. We say "back" because it's actually where all of Mines' indoor teams use to compete. The facility itself is a tri-level complex comprised of a competition gym, indoor golf practice space, two racquetball/handball courts, a wrestling room, an expansive weight room for varsity student-athletes, locker space, and administrative offices for the Mines Athletics Department. Mines' wrestling, golf, baseball, and softball teams have locker rooms in the building, as well as office suites for those sports along with men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer. The gym itself has seating accommodations for 500 spectators on vintage, wooden, pullout bleachers. The gymnasium underwent a facelift in 2018-19 with new energy-efficient LED lighting installed as well as a complete resurfacing of the maple floor.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Mines has faced CSU-Pueblo 61 times and trail the all-time series 27-34. However, since 2012, the Orediggers are 9-0 against the ThunderWolves including a 3-0 mark in 2015. It's a similar story against New Mexico Highlands. Since 2012, Mines boasts a perfect, 7-0 record when playing NMHU. Last season, the Orediggers swept both teams thanks to a combined 23 kills off the hand of Abby Tiesman and 22 kills courtesy of Taylor Hicken. Drew Stokes also put up 84 assists over the two matches at a clip of 14 assists per set.
 
TOPS IN THE NATION
Mines ranks #1 in all of NCAA Division II in assists per set. Drew Stokes is also ranked #1 in the nation in assists per set. The Orediggers are #2 in kills per set and #5 in hitting percentage. Stokes is #8 in total assists while Abby Tiesman ranks #4 in points per set and #7 in hitting percentage. Mines also leads the RMAC in all of the categories just mentioned.
 
FUN COACH FACTS
While there are still plenty of fun facts to bring out from Coach Magalei's and Coach Roberts' playing days, this time we're going to focus more in the present. Did you know that Magalei is among the winningest active and all-time coaches in NCAA Division II history? That's right. Magalei entered the 2019 season with a winning percentage of .746 which ranks #17 among all active head coaches in NCAA Division II. That number also ranks 19th all-time in DII history. Fans should note that the all-time mark includes coaches who have been in the head spot for a minimum of 10 years since 1982 at a four-year institution. And now you know.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines hits up the Denver metro area next weekend for contests at #15 Regis on Friday and at Colorado Christian on Saturday. Live stats and video of both matches will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics. Fans can also follow Mines Volleyball on Twitter using the handle @MinesVolleyball.