GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team swept past Adams State and Chadron State on Sunday as the Orediggers took their turn hosting a RMCA pod at Lockridge Arena.
 
Over the course of six sets and two matches, Taylor Hicken, Amanda Donais and Julia Eiken served as the power plan for Mines' offense. Hicken knocked down a total of 26 kills with a hitting percentage of .525. Donais had fewer kills but better efficiency at 23 and .541, respectively. Eiken chimed in with 19 kills while swinging .421. Additionally, Donais added two aces and Eiken put up seven total blocks. Drew Stokes and Elle Duis were the other top contributors for the Orediggers. Stokes handed out 82 assists through six sets while adding six kills and swinging .600 with four blocks. Duis racked up 30 digs and four service aces to put the icing on the cake.
 
Mines (8-1, 8-1 RMAC) ran its winning streak to seven straight matches with the wins. As a team, the Orediggers converted at a rate of .385 combined between the two matches. Mines' defense held the opposition to a hitting percentage of .101. Additionally, the home squad held significant advantages in service aces (9-1), assists (94-53) and digs (103-57). Adams State (0-11, 0-8 RMAC) and Chadron State (3-7, 2-6 RMAC) did present a quality block as the two visitors combined for eight blocks compared to 12 from the Orediggers. However, at the end of the day, Mines totaled 118 points while ASU and CSC combined for 66.
 
GAME ONE: Mines 3 (25, 25, 25), Adams State 0 (8, 21, 15)
Sunday morning at 11 a.m. marked Mines' first home match in exactly one month. The Orediggers excitement to play on their home court was productively apparent as they roared to a 25-8 win in the opening set behind a team hitting percentage of .652. Jin and Donais fueled the offensive explosion as Jin went for seven kills on eight attempts with no errors while Donais was a perfect 6-for-6 on swings. The score was tied only once and Mines did not trail on the way to a 1-0 lead.
 
The second set was the Grizzlies' top frame of the match. Adams State took multiple leads and stuck with the home team all the way to a 21-20 ASU lead. However, Hicken slammed down three straight kills and teamed up with Stokes to give Mines a 4-0 run and a 24-20 lead. Rose Stuewe closed it out with the very next point by knocking down a set from Stokes for the 25-21 win and a 2-0 lead in sets. Then, Mines left no doubt in the third, and final, game. The Orediggers cruised to a 25-15 win and clinched the match by hitting .333 as a team with Donais once again hitting 1.000 on four attempts.
 
GAME TWO: Mines 3 (25, 25, 25), Chadron State 0 (17, 20, 9)
Mines took a break while Chadron State and Adams State faced off in a five-set thriller at Lockridge Arena. While CSC emerged victorious, it did little to help their chances against the Orediggers. Mines' 25-17 win in the opening frame came thanks to a .350-.158 discrepancy in hitting percentage. The second set played out in similar fashion to the home team's action against ASU. Chadron State hung tough and kept it within 22-20. However, back-to-back kills from Hicken and a Donais ace closed out the 25-20 win and 2-0 lead for the Orediggers. That momentum led to a 25-9 boomschlopping in the final set as the Eagles hit under .100 and the duo of Donais and Hicken combined for eight kills. Nine ties and five lead changes did little to tell the true story of Sunday's finale.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines has won 21 straight sets against Chadron State – dating back to 2016.
- The Orediggers boast win streaks of 11 and 22 against Adams State and Chadron State, respectively.
- Stokes' 82 assists on Sunday moved her up to #2 on the program's all-time assists list. She now boasts 3,125 for her career.
- Duis took over #10 on Mines' all-time digs list with 1,194 in career after the two sweeps.
- Donais surpassed 500 career digs during Sunday's pod.
- Danielle Mullen now has exactly 300 digs in her career.
- Head coach Jamie Magalei is 289-95 in her 13th season at Mines.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
After moving their match against Colorado Mesa to March 29, the Orediggers now have two weeks off until traveling to CSU Pueblo for a RMAC pod on Saturday, March 20. Fans aren't expected, 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.