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WEEKEND RUNDOWN
This weekend, the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team closes out the nonconference portion of its schedule with four matches at the Mountain Lion Invitational hosted by UCCS in Colorado Springs. The non-bracketed invite is made up of six teams with 12 matches to be played on the main court of the Gallogly Events Center. Mines accounts for four of those matches starting Friday morning with showdowns against Minot State, UAFS, Emporia State and Angelo State. The only team in attendance that the Orediggers will not face this weekend is the host Mountain Lions. It also marks the first road trip of the season for Mines.
 
PARKING INFO
Fans planning to attend this weekend's matches can park for free in Lot 103 on Thursday and Friday, but will need to pay if parking in any other lot on campus. Fans parking on campus but not in Lot 103 for Thursday's match or on Friday until 4 p.m. will need to pay for parking.  To receive a reduced parking fee, enter the code 967870 at a parking kiosk. Parking is free after 4 p.m. on Friday, and all day Saturday.
 
LOOKING BACK
For those just tuning in to the 2019 campaign, Mines opened its season last weekend hosting the Oredigger Volleyball Classic. The home team finished the two-day event with an overall record of 3-1 and four all-tournament honorees. A pair of sweeps highlighted opening day as the Orediggers took down Dallas Baptist and Lubbock Christian in straight sets. Day two featured a four-set win over Alaska followed by a four-set battle against #8-ranked Northern State which resulted in defeat. Drew Stokes, Abby Tiesman, Amanda Donais and Elle Duis were all named to the all-tournament team. Stokes led all setters in total assists (184) and assists per set (13.14). As a team, Mines led the field in total kills (220), kills per set (15.71), assists (210) and assists per set (15.00).
 
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
The Orediggers are no stranger to Colorado Springs, the Gallogly Events Center or UCCS' tournament. Most of that familiarity comes from a 22-year rivalry with the Mountain Lions as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, but we'll get to that part during the RMAC portion of the season. Mines has also competed in the nonconference tournament hosted by UCCS as recently as 2017. Under the banner of the Steel & Silver Classic, the Orediggers posted a record of 3-1 by way of wins over Newman, Texas A&M-Commerce and then #12-ranked Wayne State. Mines' lone loss in the tournament was a three-setter to Central Oklahoma. Individually, April Jergensen, Abby Tiesman, Lindsey Jin, Delaney Duis and Courtney Richardson appeared in that tournament. Jergensen put up 24 digs while Tiesman knocked down 37 kills, 13 blocks with 21 digs and four service aces. Jin was also impressive with 39 kills, four blocks and 11 digs.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
If fans read the bold area at the start of this preview and did some quick mental math, then fans know that Mines' opposition this weekend hold a combined record of 11-6 in 2019. Let's take a closer look. Minot State is the Orediggers first opponent of the weekend and holds a record of 0-4 after starting the season in Hawaii at a tournament hosted by Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade. The Beavers won just three sets over four matches while hitting .154 on offense. Up next is UAFS which is now the preferred name of Arkansas Fort Smith. The Lady Lions opened their season at Missouri S&T where they went 3-1 with wins over Newman, Auburn-Montgomery and Arkansas Monticello. UAFS's only loss was in three sets to Missouri-St. Louis. The ladies in navy and white combined to hit .335 with 181 kills and 142 assists while averaging nearly 3.0 blocks per set. Day two opens with a showdown against Emporia State which is also 3-1 on the year. The Hornets' victories came against Drury, William Jewell and Quincy while losing to Central Washington. This season, Emporia State is hitting just .183 as a team but has 252 digs and 31 blocks. Mines' final opponent of the weekend is regional foe Angelo State which comes in boasting five wins and zero losses. However, the Rambelles' five wins are over Southeastern Oklahoma, New Mexico Highlands, Fort Lewis, Northwestern Oklahoma and Adams State. So take that for what it is. Overall, ASU is hitting .229 with 37 service aces at a rate of 2.6 aces per set. The Rambelles have surrendered just two sets in five matches.
 
SERIES HISTORY
According to available records and plenty of crosschecking, the Orediggers have never faced Minot State or Emporia State. However, the ongoing rivalry with UAFS and Angelo State is one full of history and little love lost. The last time Mines faced Angelo State was in the 2017 NCAA South Central Regional Tournament hosted by Regis in Denver. The Orediggers won that match in four sets thanks, in part, to 15 kills from Abby Tiesman and 10 more kills from Lindsey Jin. That duo also teamed up for six blocks in the victory. That 2017 win served as redemption from 2016 when ASU ended Mines' season, once again at the NCAA Regional Tournament. The Orediggers' four-set loss to the Rambelles came after Mines swept none other than UAFS in the first round of the regional tournament. It just so happens Angelo State also ended the Orediggers' season in 2015. Mines fell to the Rambelles in five sets in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, the Orediggers and Lady Lions met twice in 2014. Mines swept the regular-season matchup but lost to UAFS in five sets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
BEAVERS, LIONS AND HORNETS – OH MY!
Yes, the author did not include the Rambelles in the title but it just didn't fit. Minot State touts Beavers as its nickname with Buckshot the Beaver as its mascot. Beavers are rodents and considered among the largest living rodents in the world which really just makes them a bunch of rats or mice. Beavers are also one of the national symbols of Canada which seems appropriate since Minot State is located in North Dakota. UAFS uses lions as the nickname for its men's teams and lady lions for the women. However, lioness seems like it would have been the more accurate choice. The author isn't really sure how many lions have ever been spotted in Arkansas, but one can't go wrong with the king of the beasts, right? Emporia State is the hornets. They should not be confused with yellowjackets since a hornet is actually the largest of the eusocial wasps. Some can even reach over two inches in length. That's honestly a little disconcerting. Finally come the Rambelles of Angelo State. Another school that has different names for its men's and women's teams. ASU's men are known as the rams. Apparently, the school decided the actual name for a female ram, ewe, wasn't overly appealing so they literally made up a word. That being said, a belle is defined as a beautiful girl or woman, especially the most beautiful at a particular event or in a particular group. We would give an "A" for effort, but probably just a passing grade for Angelo State and its nickname selection.
 
GALLOGLY EVENTS CENTER
Opened on Jan. 8, 2010, the Gallogly Events Center serves as the home for Mountain Lion basketball and volleyball. The arena seats 1,250 and features layout somewhat similar to Lockridge Arena with courtside seating rising to a concourse level. The facility was named after Tommy Gallogly who earned his degree from UCCS in 1970 and another degree in 1973. It is the first building on campus to be named after a UCCS alum.
 
SECOND-WEEKEND SPLIT
Mines' success on opening weekend has been well documented as thoroughly discussed as per last week's preview. If you didn't read that preview, maybe you should have. As a quick refresher, the Orediggers are 21-3 on opening weekend over the last six years. However, in recent history, the second weekend of the reason has typically led to a split. Since 2015, Mines' overall record in the second tournament of the season is 9-7. The Orediggers have gone 2-2 on three different occasions including two appearances at the UIndy Invite in Indianapolis. Mines' most successful outing in that span was a 3-1 mark at UCCS' Steel & Silver Classic in 2017. However, it should be noted that the Orediggers go a combined 8-0 in their second tournament of the season from 2013-14. So, if you're into comparisons, Mines' opening weekend record over the last six years is 21-3 while its second-weekend mark is 17-7. Just some food for thought and fun facts as we roll down to Colorado Springs.
 
RMAC SETTER OF THE WEEK
Let us know if you've heard this one before. Drew Stokes named RMAC Setter of the Week. The sophomore brought home the sixth such award of her career and first of the season after dominating the field at the 2019 Oredigger Volleyball Classic. The Murphysboro, Ill., native finished the weekend with 184 assists at a clip of 13.14 assists per set with 15 kills on a .414 hitting percentage on her way to all-tournament distinction. She also added three service aces, 30 digs and six total blocks from the setter position. Additionally, Stokes notched her first double-double of the year with 47 assists and 14 digs against #8-ranked Northern State. Her assist and assist per set numbers led all players in the tournament.
 
DAPPER DEBUTS
On opening weekend of the 2019 campaign, two different true freshman made their Oredigger debuts. Audrey Richard was the first, playing in all four matches as a defensive specialist for Mines. She finished her first weekend of action with 16 digs in 14 sets long with two assists. The second fresh face on the floor was Rose Stuewe who came off the bench on day two and provided an impressive performance against Alaska. Stuewe knocked down eight kills in just two sets against the Nanooks and also notched one dig. She also racked up eight kills against then #8-ranked Northern State along with two blocks including one of the solo variety.
 
WAY-TOO-EARLY STATISTICAL RANKINGS
While the Orediggers are just four matches into the year, they have put up some impressive stats on the national stage. For example, Mines ranks #2 in the nation in kills per set and assists per set at a clip of 15.00 and 15.71, respectively. Additionally, the Orediggers' total assists and total kills rank #13 and #17 in all of NCAA Division II. Mines also happens to lead the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in all four of those categories while sitting #2 in hitting percentage (.275), #3 in win-loss percentage (.750) and #4 in team attacks per set. Individually, Drew Stokes is #2 in the nation in assists per set (13.14) and #6 in total assists (184). To cap it all off, no other player has put up more assists in a single three-set match this season than Stokes' 45 against Lubbock Christian.
 
MILESTONES
So far in 2019, multiple individual milestones have already been surpassed and many are on the horizon for Mines. At the Oredigger Volleyball Classic, Lindsey Jin surpassed 700 kills for her career and is coming up on 100 total blocks for her career. Abby Tiesman did much the same as she blew past 800 career kills and is knocking on the doorstep of 250 career blocks. Other Orediggers to watch include Elle Duis who is just 24 digs away from 600 in just two years. Taylor Hicken sits only 17 kills away from 300 for her career and Danielle Mullen needs four digs to make it a cool 200 as a sophomore.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Mines is not currently ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Coaches Top 25. However, the Orediggers are receiving votes in the poll which puts them at #34 in the nation. Only one of Mines' 2019 opponents is in the top 25 in the nation, and that's Northern State which moved from #8 to #7 after its undefeated weekend in Golden. Other notable teams in the rankings include South Central Regional foes Tarleton State (9) and Texas A&M-Commerce (20). Additionally, MSU Denver and Regis are tied for #32 in the receiving votes section with 41 apiece. Angelo State sits #37 with 33 votes and Colorado Mesa is #38 with 30 votes. Fans should note that the AVCA poll has very little to do with postseason selection. That honor is given to the NCAA Regional Rankings put together by the Regional Advisory Committees (RAC) made up of coaches and administrators. In that regard, it will be the top eight in the South Central Region advancing to the NCAA Tournament in mid-November.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines opens RMAC action on Friday, Sept. 20 by hosting Colorado Christian at 7 p.m. inside Lockridge Arena. Live stats and video will be available at MinesAthletics.com.