#19 Mines (6-4, 1-1 RMAC) at South Dakota Mines (4-6, 1-1 RMAC) – Rapid City, S.D. – Friday, 6 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#19 Mines (6-4, 1-1 RMAC) at Black Hills State (1-9, 0-2 RMAC) – Spearfish, S.D. – Saturday, 3 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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HEADED NORTH TO SOUTH DAKOTA
The #19-ranked Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team is headed north this weekend to South Dakota where the Orediggers will face South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State. It marks the continuation of Mines' 18-match, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Schedule. The Orediggers faceoff against the Hardrockers on Friday at 6 p.m. in Rapid City, S.D. They'll close the trip on Saturday against Black Hills State in Spearfish, S.D. at 3 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
All remaining matches for Oredigger volleyball 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.
 
LOOKING BACK
Mines opened Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play last week with a midweek match at then-#23 Regis followed by a home tilt against Westminster. The Orediggers fell in three at Regis and followed up with a sweep of the Griffins. Along the way, Elle Duis became the program's all-time digs leader thanks to 15 against the Rangers. She followed that with 17 versus WC. Drew Stokes dished out 80 assists and Rose Stuewe racked up 25 kills across six sets.
 
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
The Hardrockers from Rapid City, S.D., enter the weekend 4-6 overall while sitting 1-1 in the RMAC. They earned non-conference wins against Mary (N.D.), Truman State and MSU Moorhead. South Dakota Mines also started conference play 1-0 by taking a five-set thriller from Black Hills State before falling in five at Western Colorado last Friday. Individually, Jacey Koethe is the player to watch. She ranks #1 in the RMAC in total points and #2 in points per set while also ranking top-10 in hitting percentage, kills per set, and blocks per set. Kiley Metzger serves as SDM's setter and ranks #6 in the league in assists per set with a 9.21 average. Backrow specialist Anna Thomas is #2 in the league in total digs and #4 in digs per set. Also notable is Hannah Benes and her 18 service aces through 39 sets.
 
SCOUTING BLACK HILLS STATE
Through 10 matches in 2022, Black Hills State has just one win to its name. That victory was a four-set win against Missouri Western at the Rockhurst Invitational in Kansas City, Mo. In nine losses, the Yellow Jackets have been swept four times. That being said, BHSU did take then-#16 Hillsdale to five sets, also on opening weekend. Haedyn Rhoades has turned heads on defense with her RMAC-leading 205 digs at a 5.39 digs-per-set average. Madison Hoopman is the leader on offense thanks to 109 kills. She's hitting .166 on the attack. In fact, no Black Hills State player is hitting over .200. Coordinating the offense is Karly Marx with 327 assists, averaging 8.61 assists per set.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE HARDROCKERS
Colorado School of Mines leads the all-time series with its engineering counterpart by a margin of 8-4. That being said, since 2014 when South Dakota Mines joined the RMAC, the Orediggers hold an 8-1 record against the Hardrockers. The last meeting between the two STEM institutions was Nov. 13, 2021 and the Colorado ladies swept SDM in Rapid City. The Orediggers' lone loss to the Hardrockers in RMAC play was a five-set thriller in Golden on Oct. 5, 2019.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE YELLOW JACKETS
Mines has dominated its ongoing rivalry with Black Hills State, touting 13 wins compared to one loss. The Orediggers' lone stumble against BHSU came in the series premier on Oct. 24, 1992, in Rapid City, S.D. Since that time, Mines has run off 13 consecutive wins including 10 sweeps and three four-setters. The Orediggers and Yellow Jackets last met on Nov. 12, 2021 in Spearfish. The visitors earned a 3-0 victory thanks to Taylor Hicken's 13 kills on .650 hitting. Elle Duis ground out 14 digs, and Drew Stokes put up 41 assists, five digs, three aces and two kills.
 
DUIS DOWNS DIGS RECORD
It was briefly mentioned above, but last week Elle Duis became the program's all-time digs leader. She toppled the previous record with 15 digs at Regis including seven in the second set alone. The Texas native now touts 1,960 digs in 427 sets of action since 2018, giving her a career average of 4.59 digs per set. The previous record holder was Taryn Huber who put up 1,933 digs from 2013-17. Huber's direct predecessor was Hannah Margheim who held the record for just four years thanks to 1,905 digs from 2010-13. Duis is on pace to become the first Oredigger to ever surpass 2,000 digs in a career. She currently ranks #2 in the RMAC in digs per set and #3 in total digs. Nationally, the Byron Nelson High School product is #32 in digs per set and #59 in total digs. Among active career leaders in NCAA Division II, Duis ranks #3 in total digs, trailing just Nicole Murff of Texas A&M Kingsville (2,113) and Erin Carmody of Charleston (1,961).
 
RMAC SETTER OF THE WEEK – AGAIN
Drew Stokes earned her second RMAC Setter of the Week award of the season and 20th of her career on Monday after an outstanding week of RMAC openers. Her resume included 80 assists, 11 digs, seven kills, four blocks and two service aces in six sets of volleyball. She started her week with 33 assists, four digs, three kills and two service aces in Mines' RMAC opener at #23 Regis. The Illinois native helped the Orediggers bounce back from that three-set loss by pumping out 47 assists, seven digs, four kills and four blocks in a sweep of Westminster at Lockridge Arena. Her averages for the week came out to a blistering 13.33 assists per set while also touting a .500 hitting percentage with zero attack errors.
 
MORE DREW STOKES
Through 10 matches in 2022, Drew Stokes continues to rank as one of the best setters in the RMAC and the nation. She ranks #1 in the conference in total assists by a margin of 46 in four less sets. The graduate student's 12.46 assists per set also rank #1 in the RMAC by a plus-2.46 margin. Nationally, Stokes is #2 in NCAA Division II in assists per set and #8 in total assists. Among active career leaders across all three divisions of the NCAA, Stokes ranks #2 in assists per set and #3 in total assists. She's #1 in total assists and #2 in assists per set among active career leaders in just NCAA Division II.
 
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 324-106 (.753). 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. Squires and Fleming are the only active coaches in that group. 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. 
 
CHASING #1
Elle Duis already toppled one program record in 2022 and more are sure to follow. Drew Stokes continues to chase Mines volleyball history in two different categories. Her 5,060 assists currently rank #2 on the Orediggers' all-time list. The Murphysboro High School product is just 315 away from tying Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood at #1 and 316 from claiming the record for her own. Additionally, Stokes owns 116 service aces in her career. That ranks #5 in program history and sits just 11 back of Katie Streicher at #4. Duis is also part of the service-ace race. She has 105 in her career and ranks #7, just shy of Sarah Pekarek who pumped out 110.
 
KILLER ATTACK
All the puns intended with this title. Ten matches into the season and Mines continues to boast an offense that has become perennially elite over the last 5-10 years. For the 2022 season thus far, the Orediggers rank #1 in the nation in both assists per set and kills per set. They also rank #29 in hitting percentage and #30 in total assists.
 
IN THE POLLS
In the third iteration of the American Volleyball Coaches' Association's NCAA Division II national rankings, Mines appeared #19. It marked a four-spot drop from #15 due to the Orediggers' loss at then-#23 Regis. Mines' Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference peers represented well too. MSU Denver held strong at #4, Regis rose to #20, and Colorado Mesa remained #21 with CSU Pueblo still receiving votes. Other teams appearing on the Orediggers' 2022 schedule and inside the latest top-25 included #7 Southwest Minnesota State and #22 Hillsdale. UT Tyler, Ferris State, Gannon, and Northern State all received votes.
 
STANDING IN THE HALL OF FAME
On October 8, as part of Colorado School of Mines Homecoming Weekend, Oredigger volleyball alum Jackie Stabell will be inducted into the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 class at the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet and Auction. 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. Mines Athletics Auction & Hall of Fame Dinner is set for the night of October 8 with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets and more information can be found at www.minesathletics.com/auction.
 
UP NEXT
Following the trip to South Dakota, Mines returns home to host Western Colorado on Friday, Sept. 23, and Fort Lewis on Saturday, Sept. 24. Tickets for the matches can be purchased at www.minesathletics.com/tickets. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will also be offered.
 
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.