#5 Mines (8-1, 8-1 RMAC) at CSU Pueblo (7-3, 5-2 RMAC) – Saturday, 12 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
#5 Mines (8-1, 8-1 RMAC) vs. #21 Regis (8-3, 8-1 RMAC) – Saturday, 3 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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HEADED SOUTH
This weekend, the #5-ranked Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team heads south to Pueblo, Colo., for its last RMAC pod of the season. Competition promises to be fierce as the Orediggers face a CSU Pueblo squad receiving votes in the national poll and a Regis team ranked #21 in the nation. It'll mark Mines' first action against teams with a winning record since facing MSU Denver on opening day. The Orediggers make the trip touting a seven-match win streak and hope to make it nine once the dust settles on Saturday evening at Massari Arena. Mines' first match of the day will be the hosting ThunderWolves at 12 p.m. immediately followed by the showdown with Regis at 3 p.m. CSU Pueblo and Regis close out the day with their own matchup at 6 p.m.
 
SPECTATORS POLICY FOR THIS WEEKEND
CSU Pueblo has a limited fan attendance policy, outlined on their web site. Masks and social distancing are required at all times. Tickets will only be sold at the gate on the day of the game and only cash is accepted.
 
FREE ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Even if fans can't make it to Saturday's matches, everyone can keep up with each point live and for free on the RMAC Network at www.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". Additionally, live stats are available with links above and on the volleyball schedule page at www.minesathletics.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The last time Mines took the court was Sunday, March 7, as the Orediggers hosted Adams State and Chadron State in a RMAC pod. Mines swept past both teams in dominant fashion. Taylor Hicken and Drew Stokes fueled the 3-0 wins and earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and RMAC Setter of the Week, respectively, thanks to their performances. Hicken racked up 26 kills while hitting .525 in the two matches. She finished the day averaging more than 4.0 kills per set. Stokes handed out 82 assists at a clip of 13.67 assists per set. She also knocked down six kills on 10 attempts with no errors and added 10 digs with four blocks. Hicken continues to lead the RMAC in hitting percentage while Stokes ranks #1 in assists and assists per set.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
CSU Pueblo opened its season with a five-set win over then #5-ranked Regis in Grand Junction, Colo. The ThunderWolves then dropped matches to Colorado Mesa and MSU Denver. The most baffling loss in an otherwise impressive season was a five-set heartbreaker against Adams State last Thursday. Jazzy Espinoza and Maddy Wisniewski lead the offense for "The Pack". Espinoza ranks #4 in the nation hitting .473 while Wisniewski leads the quad with 99 kills at 2.75 kills per set. CSU Pueblo runs a two-setter system featuring Grace Hern and Grace Jansen. On defense, Payton Stack touts 1.25 blocks per set. Overall, the ThunderWolves' biggest strength lies in the service game where they rank 13th in the nation thanks to 2.16 aces per set while sitting 16th with 67 total aces.
 
WHAT'S A THUNDERWOLF?
We know this is on repeat, but explaining a ThunderWolf really never gets old. In short, it's a made up animal and the nickname for CSU Pueblo Athletics. In the context of CSU Pueblo, 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 at 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 at 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 REGIS
After a trip to the Elite Eight in 2019, Regis faltered at the start of the overhauled 2020-21 campaign. The Rangers started 0-2 with losses to CSU Pueblo and Colorado Mesa. Regis went on to win eight straight before suffering its third loss of the season at the hands of #4-ranked MSU Denver. In total, RU touts five sweeps in the eight victories. Individually, no Ranger is hitting over .300 on offense. Caitlyn Burroway leads RU on 128 kills at 3.28 kills per set while hitting .178 on the outside. Rachel Siurek also has 100 kills on the season. Mara LeGrand is Drew Stokes' top competition for RMAC Setter of the Year as she boasts 410 assists on the season at a clip of 10.51 assists per set. Defensively it's Haley Kennedy holding down the back row to the tune of 4.67 digs per set.
 
EXILED IN NEW MEXICO
The history of Regis University proves quite interesting. In part, RU (formerly Regis College) was originally founded in Las Vegas, N.M. in 1877 by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits. The school later joined with Sacred Heart College in Morrison, Colo., to form what everyone now knows as Regis University in Denver. Who would've thought there was more than one RMAC school in Las Vegas, N.M.? Regis' athletic teams adopted the nickname Rangers which seems appropriate since they're defined as "a keeper of park, forest, or area of countryside," and Denver serves as a gateway to many such areas.
 
SERIES HISTORY – CSU PUEBLO
Despite trailing the all-time series against CSU Pueblo by a margin of 31-41, Mines boasts 10 straight wins against "The Pack" dating back to Oct. 4, 2012. The Orediggers last loss against the ThunderWolves was a five-set heartbreaker in Pueblo on Sept. 15, 2011. Since that time, Mines has swept CSU Pueblo seven times and dropped just three sets to "The Pack" with no five-set affairs. The last meeting between the two teams was Oct. 18, 2019, at Volk Gym in Golden, Colo. The Orediggers swept the ThunderWolves by hitting .418 with 13 kills from Rose Stuewe and 10 more from Amanda Donais. Elle Duis emerged with 11 digs and Drew Stokes dished out 41 assists in three sets.
 
SERIES HISTORY – REGIS
Unlike the series with CSU Pueblo, the rivalry between Mines and Regis has proved tumultuous in recent history. The all-time mark is 25-47 in favor of RU. From 2013-15, the Orediggers won seven straight against the Rangers. Then, in 2016, Mines and Regis begin to swap wins and losses. Heading into the weekend, the Orediggers are 4-6 over their last 10 against RU with the last showdown coming in the Sweet 16 of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Regis swept Mines inside Regis Fieldhouse to win the South Central Region title. Less than one week before, the Orediggers claimed their own sweep of the Rangers inside Regis Fieldhouse in the RMAC Tournament Semifinals. Mines went on to win the 2019 RMAC Tournament title.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Orediggers moved up to fifth in the nation on Wednesday as the American Volleyball Coaches' Association released its seventh edition of the AVCA Division II Coaches' Top-25. Mines made the rise on the merits of an 8-1 record and an active seven-match win streak. Mines is now one of three RMAC teams inside the nation's top-five. Colorado Mesa currently sits second at 9-0 on the season and MSU Denver is fourth despite a loss to the aforementioned Mavericks. Regis gives the conference four teams on the national list as the Rangers check in at #21. They also lost to CMU marking RU's third loss of the season. CSU Pueblo checked in by receiving three votes in the national poll.
 
ENGINEERING EFFICIENCY
As a team, the Orediggers rank third in the nation and #1 in the RMAC in hitting percentage. Mines is also fifth in the nation in assists per set and sixth in kills per set. Within the conference, the Orediggers rank #1 and #2 in those respective categories. Individually, Drew Stokes is #3 in all of NCAA Division II in assists per set and 10th in total assists. Middle blocker Taylor Hicken ranks fifth in the nation in hitting percentage.
 
GROUND RULES
After the NCAA canceled all of its 2020 fall championships, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference presidents voted to postpone a majority of the fall seasons – including volleyball – until the spring. In the interim, conference and institutional personnel developed the rules and processes to return to play and the requirements to hold a RMAC Volleyball Tournament. All teams competing this spring will undergo weekly testing, and every person in the gym for a match will wear masks except the players actively competing on the floor. The schedule features 13 conference matches for each team. New Mexico Highlands has preemptively opted out of the season leaving 14 programs competing. In order to declare an RMAC champion and to hold a conference tournament, at least five teams must complete 50 percent of their originally approved schedule. Up to eight teams can qualify for the RMAC postseason. There is still no NCAA Volleyball postseason for the 2020-21 academic year.
 
UP NEXT
Mines closes its regular-season schedule for the spring on Monday, March 29, against #2-ranked Colorado Mesa at Lockridge Arena. No spectators will be allowed, but live stats and video will be offered for free at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can follow the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team on Twitter at @MinesVolleyball and on Instagram at @Mines_Volleyball. Fans can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.