GOLDEN, Colo. – The Oredigger duo of Amanda Donais and Drew Stokes lifted the #9 Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team to a four-set victory over South Dakota Mines on Friday night inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Both Donais and Stokes recorded double-doubles in the win. Donais touted a team-high 16 kills along with 12 digs while hitting .441. Stokes built a resume that featured 48 assists, 17 digs and seven kills on 10 attempts with zero errors for a .700 attack percentage. Hicken added to the offense by muscling down 13 kills at a .414 clip. Defensively, four Orediggers registered double-digit digs as Elle Duis (18) and April Jergensen (13) joined the party. Also notable were Lindsey Jin's three service aces and four total blocks for Hicken.
 
The win makes seven straight for Colorado School of Mines (10-1, 3-0 RMAC) and keeps the Orediggers tied for #1 in the conference standings. South Dakota Mines (6-5, 0-3 RMAC) drops its third straight after starting the season 6-2. While most statistical categories came out close or even in the match, Colorado School of Mines earned the victory behind an attack percentage of .294 while holding the visitors to .174 in the same category. Both teams produced six blocks apiece and the Hardrockers won the service game, 5-4. The Orediggers found additional advantages in digs, assists and kills.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
With the autumnal equinox just two days past, Golden, Colo., provided a breathtaking backdrop for a packed evening of Oredigger action. Inside the friendly confines of Lockridge Arena, it was a STEM showdown as Colorado School of Mines hosted South Dakota School of Mines. The encounter of engineers saw a somewhat tepid start as the home team used a late, 5-1 run and four kills from Donais to claim a 25-18 win and a 1-0 lead in the match. What followed was far more dramatic.
 
After the opening set, both teams set their hooks into each other. The next three frames featured small runs and point-for-point battles with minimal separation. A 27-25 score in game two went in favor of the Hardrockers and became exhibit "A" in the fiery back-and-forth. The third set saw the Orediggers take an early 3-0 lead, but then neither team led by more than two points until back-to-back SDM errors afforded the home team a 22-19 advantage. Even then, the Hardrockers pulled nearly even at 22-21. However, Donais and Jin teamed up for three of the last four points to regain a 2-1 lead off the 25-22 win.
 
As the proverbial curtains drew back on set four, fans found themselves witnessing another point-for-point battle. That sort of exchange extended all the way to 14-14 before the Orediggers stepped hard on the gas. Donais, Stokes and Hicken piled up three straight points for a 17-14 lead and that was all the separation the home team needed. The Colorado School of Mines run turned into 9-1 including two of Jin's three aces. Julia Eiken hammered the final kill home for a 25-17, match-clinching win.
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers improved to 7-4 in the all-time series against the Hardrockers.
- At 10-1, Colorado School of Mines is off to its best start since 2014 when the team went 25-4.
- 74 digs as a team mark Mines' highest output of the season in that category.
- With 18 digs, Duis took over #4 on Mines' all-time list, touting 1,453 in her career and surpassing Elizabeth Serra-Hsu.
- Donais' double-double on Friday was the 15th of her career and the 20th for Stokes. However, it was only the second and third double-doubles for any Oredigger this season.
- Additionally, Donais and Stokes both matched their career high in kills which they had both produced twice before.
- Jergensen's 13 digs were one shy of her career best which she put up earlier this season against then #4 Washburn.
- On Friday night, Jin surpassed 400 sets played in her collegiate career.
- The four-set decision marks the second time in the last three matches that Colorado School of Mines has scored exactly 25 points in all four sets.
- Head Coach Jamie Magalei is now 302-99 in her career.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines quickly returns to Lockridge Arena, hosting Black Hills State on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. Tickets are available for sale online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets. Live stats and video on the RMAC network will also be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on Twitter at @MinesVolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.