#22 Mines (15-5, 10-2 RMAC) at CSU Pueblo (16-4, 9-3 RMAC) – Pueblo, Colo. – Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#22 Mines (15-5, 10-2 RMAC) at UCCS (9-11, 4-8 RMAC) – Colorado Springs, Colo. – Saturday, 3 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

---

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
For the first time in three weeks, the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team will take to the open road. The Orediggers head to CSU Pueblo on Friday for a 7 p.m. match followed by a 3 p.m. showdown on Saturday in Colorado Springs. While winning in general is always the goal, this weekend, two victories would clinch Mines a berth in the 2022 RMAC Tournament.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches this week and all remaining matches for Oredigger volleyball in 2022 will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network which can be accessed at minesathletics.com/tv as well as with apps on all major smart TV platforms by searching RMAC. Live statistics are also available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Orediggers went 2-0 at home last week thanks to a sweep of Chadron State on Tuesday and a 3-0 victory over then-#16 Regis on Friday. Rose Stuewe was the tip of the spear on offense the whole way. She hammered out 13 kills on .611 hitting against the Eagles before torching the Rangers with 16 kills on .448 hitting along with four total blocks. Drew Stokes had 42 assists in three sets on Tuesday before working a 29-assist, 10-dig double-double on Friday. At the service line, Audrey Richard produced a trio of aces to the detriment of CSC while Jada Price had three aces against RU.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
CSU Pueblo will start the weekend touting an overall record of 16-4 while sitting 9-3 in the RMAC which puts the ThunderWolves alone at #5 in the conference standings. Their overall record has also proven good enough to consistently receive votes in the AVCA national rankings. CSU Pueblo started the season 7-1 in non-conference play. The ThunderWolves are 7-3 in their last 10 matches. Most recently, CSU Pueblo went to Grand Junction and lost in four sets to #20 Colorado Mesa. The team's biggest strength is their block which ranks #17 in the nation in blocks per set. That holds opponents to .183 on the attack while "The Pack's" .261 hitting percentage ranks #20 in all of NCAA Division II. Jazzy Espinosa and Josey Nunn both average 1.16 blocks per set. Espinosa also hits .404 which ranks #13 in DII with 149 kills on offense. Payton Van Veen leads the team with 213 kills at a clip of 3.04 kills per set while hitting .297 through 20 matches. CSU Pueblo runs a 6-2 system that features Sabrina King and Grace Hern at setter. Elaine Thibadeau is the libero.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE THUNDERWOLVES
Mines trails the all-time series against CSU Pueblo, 32-42. However, the Orediggers are 9-1 in the last 10 meetings and 15-2 since 2007. Mines last faced "The Pack" on Oct. 29, 2021, and swept them inside Lockridge Arena. Rose Stuewe led all players with 14 kills in that match, and she hit .500 as well. Elle Duis averaged 7.0 digs per set. CSU Pueblo snapped Mines' 10 match winning streak in the rivalry when the ThunderWolves swept the Orediggers on March 20, 2021, as part of a RMAC Pod in Pueblo, Colo., during the pandemic-impacted season. Prior to the loss in spring of 2021, Mines had not lost to CSU Pueblo since dropping a five-set thriller on Sept. 15, 2011, also in Pueblo, Colo. Each of the last six meetings between the two teams have been 3-0 decisions, and 2011 was the last time they went five sets.
 
SCOUTING UCCS
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs Volleyball team is under new leadership with Head Coach Tara Hittle wading through her first season at the helm. After a 0-4 start to RMAC play, the Mountain Lions have managed to go .500 through the heart of the season. Now 9-11 overall and 4-8 in the conference, UCCS will host Chadron State on Friday before welcoming Mines on Saturday. The Mountain Lions' last match was a 3-1 win at Westminster, keeping them on the fringe of a potential RMAC Tournament berth. As a team, UCCS hits just .170 while the opposition has combined for a .206 attack percentage. Individually, Hannah Ammerman leads the offense thanks to 199 kills. She hits .212 while Nicole Medlin leads UCCS hitters with a .265 percentage. Reilly Babcock coordinates the 5-1 system and has 576 assists along with 32 service aces. Jordyn Kinsey is tops with 242 digs, and Medlin boasts 66 blocks.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
Mines owns a 30-24 advantage in the all-time series against UCCS which includes an active 15-match win streak. The Orediggers have swept the Mountain Lions the last four times they have met. Mines hasn't lost to UCCS since Sept. 15, 2012, when the Mountain Lions swept the Orediggers in Golden, Colo. Mines and UCCS most recently met on Oct. 30, 2021. No player exceeded double-digit kills, but the Orediggers did rack up 11 service aces including four from Taylor Hicken and three from Amanda Donais. Mines hit .434 as a team while holding UCCS to .095 on the attack.
 
RMAC RUNDOWN
For most volleyball teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, six matches remain in the regular season. MSU Denver and Colorado Christian played on Tuesday, so they only have five. The aforementioned Roadrunners sit atop the RMAC standings at 13-0 and have already clinched a berth in the conference tournament. Regis is #2 in the league with an 11-1 record and needs just one win to clinch a postseason appearance. Colorado Mesa and Mines are tied for #3 thanks to a 10-2 mark. Both the Mavericks and Orediggers can punch their RMAC Tournament tickets this weekend. CSU Pueblo and Colorado Christian are currently alone at #5 and #6. The true battle for the conference postseason comes at #7 where South Dakota Mines, Fort Lewis, and Chadron State are all tied at 5-7 while UCCS is one match back at 4-8. Adams State, Westminster, Black Hills State, New Mexico Highlands, and Western Colorado round out the bottom third. No team has been mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the eight-team tournament. MSU Denver is the only team that has clinched a spot.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
Thanks to another 2-0 week, Mines volleyball rose one spot to #22 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches' Association national rankings. The Orediggers were one of four RMAC teams represented in the top-25. MSU Denver remained #2, Regis dropped to #18, and Colorado Mesa stood strong at #20. CSU Pueblo continued receiving votes. Another 2022 foe for the Orediggers was Southwest Minnesota State which rose from #7 to #5 in the nation. Ferris State also appeared in the receiving votes section of the poll. Wayne State (Neb.) topped the rankings with an unblemished 23-0 record in 2022.
 
NOTING THE NUMBERS
Through 20 matches in 2022, Colorado School of Mines ranks #1 in NCAA Division II in both assists per set (14.18) and kills per set (15.15). The Orediggers are also #15 in DII in hitting percentage after they were #1 in the nation last season. Drew Stokes' 12.07 assists per set this season rank #2 in DII, and her 11.89 career assists per set rank #2 among all active NCAA volleyball players. Additionally, her 857 assists in 2022 rank #17 in DII and her 5,481 career assists rank #3 among all active NCAA volleyball players and #1 in NCAA Division II. Also notable is Elle Duis who ranks #3 among active career leaders in NCAA Division II with 2,114 career digs. Within the RMAC this season, Stokes ranks #1 in setting, Rose Stuewe is #3 in kills per set, and Duis is #3 in digs. As a team, Mines leads the RMAC in assists per set, digs per set, kills per set, total assists, total attacks, and total kills.
 
OFFICIALLY A HALL OF FAMER
On Saturday, Oct. 8, Oredigger volleyball all-American Jackie Stabell was officially inducted into the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class. The ceremony took place on as part of the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet and Auction inside Lockridge Arena. Stabell played for the Orediggers from 2009-12 as became the first all-American in Mines Volleyball's decorated history. A two-time all-American, Stabell was a member of four NCAA Tournament-qualifying teams and paced the Orediggers to the first of what would become four consecutive RMAC regular-season championships in 2012. The 2012 RMAC Player of the Year set records along the way from her outside hitter position, establishing herself as the program's all-time kills leader over her four-year career. Her full bio can be found HERE.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Jamie Magalei is in her 15th season leading the Mines volleyball program in 2022. She is easily the program's all-time leader in total wins and win percentage at 333-107 (.755). Her winning percentage going into the season ranked #15 among active NCAA Division II head coaches with a minimum of five years at a DII program. Her 318 wins at the start of 2022 put her #47 in terms of total wins among active DII coaches. Magalei's win total also ranks second among active RMAC coaches. Last season, Magalei became only the sixth head volleyball coach to earn 300 wins while coaching in the RMAC. Through 2021, Magalei has guided Mines to six RMAC regular-season titles and five RMAC Tournament trophies with 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Magalei has led the Orediggers to either a RMAC regular-season or tournament title every season since 2012 including a sweep of both in 2015.
 
UP NEXT
Mines stays on the road next weekend as well, traveling to Westminster Friday and Colorado Mesa Saturday. Live coverage of both matches will 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.