LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Another big match for Shannon Perna on Saturday afternoon pushed the #23 Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team to a 3-0 win at New Mexico Highlands.
 
Perna's resume for the day included 13 kills, which led all players, a .400 attack percentage, three digs and two service aces. Right behind her was Megan Neil who posted 12 kills and led all hitters with a .478 attack percentage. Drew Stokes turned in a 42-assist, 11-dig double-double. Elle Duis anchored the back row with 13 digs, but Audrey Richard and Jada Price collected double-digit digs as well. Also notable were two additional service aces from Morgan McChesney and six kills in the third set by Madison Glassco.
 
The Orediggers (12-4, 7-1 RMAC) combined to hit .342 as a team while out-digging New Mexico Highlands (4-12, 1-7 RMAC) by a margin of 56-35. That discrepancy helped Mines keep the Cowgirls to .167 on the attack despite registering just two total blocks. New Mexico Highlands matched the two blocks from the visitors, but NMHU could not terminate the ball, finishing with just 28 kills compared to 53 by the Orediggers. With the victory, Mines extends its win streak to seven and continues to boast the second-best record in RMAC play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mines cross country had already run its races on Saturday morning, and the Oredigger football team had just kicked off the second half at Chadron State when Colorado School of Mines and New Mexico Highlands took the court in Las Vegas. While the Cowgirls made it close in the opening frame, there was only one tie and no lead changes as the Orediggers earned the 25-22 win. Four kills apiece from Stuewe, Neil and Emily Knight along with 14 assists from Stokes highlighted Mines' charge to a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
After game one, NMHU seemingly had nothing left and the visitors cruised. Perna hammered out seven more kills and Stokes racked up 14 more assists in a 25-14, set-two win. McChesney and Neil also went 4-of-7 with zero errors to each hit .571 in the frame. Glassco polished off the sweep in game three by knocking down all six of her kills for the match at a .385 clip on the pin to clinch another 25-14 win and the victory. Not to be ignored were 11 ties and five lead changes in the final set which were offset by eight digs from Duis in the third game alone.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines extended its all-time series lead over New Mexico Highlands to 34-28, including an active win streak of 15 against the Cowgirls.
- Saturday also marked the Orediggers' fourth straight sweep of NMHU. They have swept the Cowgirls 11 times in the last 15 meetings.
- Stokes' double-double was the 29th of her career. She now has exactly 700 assists in 2022.
- McChesney notched multiple service aces in a match for the second time in her career. She last had two against Northern State on opening weekend.
- Mines Athletics has not lost a head-to-head competition since Friday, Sept. 16. The Orediggers are a combined 17-0-1 during that span.
- Head Coach Magalei now owns a career record of 330-106.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines will return to Golden and host Colorado Christian and #2 MSU Denver at Volk Gym next Friday and Saturday as part of homecoming festivities.
 
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.