#8 Mines (11-1, 4-0 RMAC) at Western Colorado (7-5, 2-2 RMAC) – Friday, 7 p.m. – Gunnison, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#8 Mines (11-1, 4-0 RMAC) at Fort Lewis (1-7, 1-3 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Durango, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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WESTWARD BOUND
Over the mountains and through the pass is the plan for the #8-ranked Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team this weekend as they journey to Western Colorado and Fort Lewis. The hot-hitting Orediggers put their eight-match win streak on the line Friday at 7 p.m. against the Mountaineers of WCU. Mines closes the road trip Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Skyhawks of Fort Lewis in Durango. Neither opposing record appears formidable, but the highest collegiate gym in the world and a team defending a fort can certainly change things.
 
FAN INFORMATION
Western Colorado is welcoming fans to events, but attendees are required to wear a mask at all times in any indoor facility. There will be no concessions either. Similarly, Fort Lewis campus policy also requires masks in indoor public spaces for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The RMAC Network has relaunched for 2021-22, and fans used to watching on their smart TV or other device must download the new app by searching "RMAC" in your device's app store. The new watch portal is available online at www.minesathletics.com/tv or www.rmacnetwork.com. All Mines home matches will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network this fall.
 
WEEKEND REWIND
Last Friday and Saturday, Mines put together an impressive 2-0 record at home with a four-set win over South Dakota Mines followed by a dominant sweep of Black Hills State. Amanda Donais and Drew Stokes highlighted Friday's win against the Hardrockers with a pair of double-doubles. Stokes even flirted with a triple-double thanks to 48 assists, 17 digs and seven kills while hitting .700. Saturday was all Lindsey Jin with 13 kills on 15 attempts and zero errors which computed to a .867 percentage. The Orediggers hit .448 as a team and held BHSU to .023 on the attack.
 
RECORDS SHALL FALL
It was only a matter of time before records began to fall this season. Lindsey Jin struck first last weekend against Black Hills State. Her match hitting percentage of .867 toppled the program record for hitting percentage in a match on 15-19 attempts. As mentioned above, Jin converted 13 kills on 15 attempts with no errors. Her mark bested the previous record of .833 set by Melanie Wannamaker against Western Colorado on Oct. 15, 2012. Furthermore, Jin moved her sister Janice from #2 to #3 on the list with Janice in attendance on Saturday night. Another record for fans to watch is career assists. While she still has a ways to go, Drew Stokes currently boasts 3,836 assists in her career which ranks #2 on Mines' all-time list and sits 1,639 away from the top mark of 5,375 owned by Oredigger legend Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN COLORADO
The Mountaineers of Western Colorado enter the weekend with a middling record of 7-5 overall while owning a 2-2 mark in RMAC play. Their conference wins came against South Dakota Mines (3-2) and Fort Lewis (3-1). Western Colorado's RMAC losses were at the hands of Colorado Christian and Regis, both in 3-0 fashion. The Mountaineer's non-conference schedule also featured a 3-0 loss to now #3-ranked Angelo State. Individually, Jordyn Todd leads the team with 115 kills, but it's Caroline Parker who has 2.72 kills per set and Jaeda Davis-Golliher hitting .357 to rank 48th in the nation. In the back row, Elizabeth Rupprecht anchors the situation with 4.54 digs per set while Todd touts 3.36 digs per set. Kat Finnerty boasts 46 blocks in 46 sets. Alex Galicia is the leading setter with 343 assists. As a team, WCU hits. .181 compared to .191 from the opposition.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
At 1-7 overall and 1-3 in conference, Fort Lewis has an uphill battle ahead. The Skyhawks host Chadron State on Friday before Mines arrives on Saturday. Their only win of the season so far is a five-set thriller against New Mexico Highlands. Losses in the early going include but aren't limited to sweeps against Regis and now #2-ranked MSU Denver. Statistically, FLC is hitting just .116 as a team compared to .234 from its opponents. However, this weekend is just the second and third home matches of the season. Individually, Alexis Hobie is the name to know thanks to a team-high 70 kills and a second-best 48 digs at 1.78 per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Mines trails both of the all-time series versus this weekend's opponents with a 34-36-1 mark against Western Colorado and a 34-35 record against Fort Lewis. However, recent history has been all Orediggers with seven straight wins over the Mountaineers and 18 consecutive victories over the Skyhawks. Mines played WCU twice last spring which included a five-set, Oredigger victory in Gunnison followed by a sweep in the RMAC Tournament. The Orediggers started their spring campaign with a four-set win against Fort Lewis at MSU Denver. Mines has only dropped two sets to Western Colorado since 2017 and hasn't lost to WCU since Sept. 25, 2015 in Gunnison. In 18 straight wins, the Orediggers have swept Fort Lewis 13 times. The last time FLC won against Mines was Sept. 29, 2007 – just over 14 years ago.
 
MAGALEI VS. THE OPPOSITION
Interestingly, Head Coach Jamie Magalei started Mines' win streak against Fort Lewis upon taking the helm in 2008. For those who struggle with math, that makes Magalei 18-0 when facing the Skyhawks. She is 15-1 versus Western Colorado and has only dropped seven sets in 16 meetings. Going back to those non-math folks, Magalei owns a combined record of 33-1 against this weekend's opponents.
 
TOPS IN THE NATION
After last weekend's drubbing of Black Hills State, the Orediggers took over the #1 spot in the nation in hitting percentage. Mines' season mark of .329 leads all of NCAA Division II while its 14.93 kills per set ranks #2 in the nation. If that weren't enough, the Orediggers also rank #3 in the nation in assists per set at 13.57. They also tout the 12th-best win-loss percentage. Individually, the one-two punch of Drew Stokes and Taylor Hicken has led Mines' hot-hitting ways. Stokes ranks #2 in the nation in assists per set while Hicken sits #3 in all the land in hitting percentage. Also notable is Amanda Donais ranking #15 in hitting percentage. Stokes is 20th in total assists. Overall, Mines leads the entire RMAC in five different statistical categories.
 
THE NATIONAL POLL
Thanks to last week's 2-0 record, Mines climbed from #9 to #8 in the national poll managed by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association. The Orediggers also earned a first-place vote in the fourth edition of the 2021 national list. MSU Denver also climbed the rankings to #2 in all the land. The Roadrunners are the only other RMAC program in the top-25. Colorado Mesa continued receiving votes. Additional teams from the South Central Region include Angelo State down to #3 and UT Tyler up to #19. Washburn remains #1 in the nation. Fans may recall the Orediggers toppling the Ichabods earlier this season at the Mountain Lion Classic in Colorado Springs when Washburn was ranked #4. Southwest Minnesota State, the Oreidggers' only loss of the season is #6.
 
FUN FACT OF THE WEEK
As per usual, fans should note that the level of fun for any given fact is relative to the author. So take it all with a grain of salt. While Mines' offensive numbers are extremely impressive, it bears noting that they boasts one of the most underrated players in the RMAC, if not the nation. That person is Oredigger libero Elle Duis. Why, you ask, is she underrated? Well, let us explain. During the fall alone, Duis has put up 181 digs at a clip of 4.31 digs per set which ranks fifth in the RMAC, and 116th in the nation. While 116th may not sound impressive, keep in mind there are nearly 300 NCAA Division II volleyball teams. The rub to it all is, Duis is doing this on the #1 hitting team in the nation. That means she has far fewer chances to record a dig since no team is converting their attack opportunities at a higher rate. Furthermore, Duis' 1,469 digs rank 26th among active players. She's hit that number and taken over #6 on Mines' all-time list while playing for a team that has hit .272 during her tenure. As a point of reference, a .272 hitting percentage would rank #10 in the nation this season. Oh, and Elle has never missed a single match in four years. That's 89 matches and counting. It may not make sense initially, but just think about it.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers return home Oct. 8-9 for matches against Adams State and New Mexico Highlands inside Lockridge Arena. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets or at the door the day of the match. 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.