#21 Mines (8-4, 3-1 RMAC) vs. Western Colorado (2-9, 1-3 RMAC) – Lockridge Arena – Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#21 Mines (8-4, 3-1 RMAC) vs. Fort Lewis (4-6, 2-2 RMAC) – Lockridge Arena – Saturday, 5 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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HOME WEEKEND AHEAD
The upcoming weekend features six home athletic events for the Orediggers over the course of three days, and the #21 Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team will take center stage on multiple occasions. Their weekend starts on Friday at 7 p.m., hosting Western Colorado at Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers play again Saturday at 5 p.m. against Fort Lewis, also inside Lockridge Arena. The 2021 Mines volleyball team will also be recognized on Saturday at halftime of the Oredigger football game.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
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.
 
WEAR BLUE!
Friday night's match against Western Colorado is a designated "Blue Out." All fans including students, parents and friends are encouraged to wear blue in support of the Orediggers. For students, there will also be free Chick-Fil-A cookies for the first 75 to go past the ticket table located on the east balcony.
 
CATCH US AT MARV KAY STADIUM
As mentioned above, Saturday promises to be busy for the Mines volleyball squad. At halftime of the Mines football game with CSU Pueblo (12 p.m. kickoff), the 2021 Oredigger volleyball team will be recognized for their RMAC Tournament Championship which came on a five-set win over then #1-ranked MSU Denver on the Roadrunners home court. Fans wanting to support the team both at Marv Kay Stadium and Lockridge Arena can buy tickets for both events online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
On Saturday, Oct. 8, Oredigger volleyball all-American Jackie Stabell will be inducted into the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame. Tickets to the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet & Auction are still available at www.minesathletics.com/auction. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a silent auction and cocktail reception. Dinner will be served at 7:15 p.m. The program begins at 8 p.m.
 
SOUTH DAKOTA SUMMARY
Mines hit the road last weekend for a pair of matches in South Dakota. On Friday, the Orediggers earned a 3-1 win against South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. Rose Stuewe had 15 kills on .333 hitting. Drew Stokes pumped out a 46-assist, 16-dig double-double. Megan Neil also had a double-double thanks to 10 kills and 13 digs. Elle Duis added 15 digs and Emma Smithey put together a career night with 11 kills on .455 hitting. Saturday saw Mines head to Spearfish for a RMAC contest at Black Hills State. The Orediggers also won that showdown in four sets thanks to Emily Knight's 16 kills and Stokes' 38-assist, 10-dig double-double. Neil added another double-double as well with 10 kills and 14 digs.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN COLORADO
After opening the 2022 season at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic with an 0-4 record, Western Colorado has posted a 2-5 record overall including a 1-3 mark in RMAC play. The first of the Mountaineers' two wins came at Cal State Dominguez Hills in the Toro's own invitational in five sets. Their second win was another five-setter against South Dakota Mines in Gunnison, Colo. As a team, WCU owns a .143 hitting percentage and gives up a .252 average to opponents on the attack. Individually, Emily Mangone leads the Mountaineers with 93 kills while Jaeda Davis-Golliher is tops on the team with a .343 attack percentage. Lexi Wilmoth and Hailee Martinez serve as setters in the 6-2 system. Elizabeth Rupprecht anchors the back row, averaging 2.95 digs per set. Randi Wellhoefer touts 28 blocks for a 0.74 blocks-per-set average. Eight of WCU's nine losses have come in straight sets.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis touts a much-improved squad relative to its 2021 season. The Skyhawks only won six matches last year – all in RMAC play – and already boast four wins (two  RMAC) in 2022. They will face Chadron State in Nebraska on Friday before coming to Golden on Saturday. Both non-conference wins for FLC came in straight sets against Western New Mexico at the WNMU season-opening tournament and against Texas-Permian Basin at the Lonestar Tournament in Lubbock, Texas. Fort Lewis' conference wins were both four-set affairs at New Mexico Highlands and at home against Western Colorado. The Skyhawks are fresh off a five-set heartbreaker to #20 Regis in Durango last Friday. Alexis Hobie is the player to watch on offense with a team-high 116 kills on .253 hitting. Natalia Lambos spearheads the 5-1 offense with 300 assists. No Skyhawk has more than 100 digs on the season. Ella Butler and Rylee Johnson both boast 25 blocks. Three of Fort Lewis' six losses have come in five sets. Furthermore, FLC has only been swept once this season.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE MOUNTAINEERS
Mines and Western Colorado already played once in 2022. It was a non-conference match at Lockridge Arena as part of the Oredigger Volleyball Classic. The Orediggers won in straight sets and improved to 37-36-1 in the all-time series. Despite the narrow margin in the overall record, Mines has won 10 straight meetings with WCU including eight 3-0 victories. The Mountaineers did push the Orediggers to five sets on Feb. 11, 2021, in Gunnison. That was the last time they dropped a set to Western Colorado. Mines ended WCU's season in the RMAC Tournament in both 2020 and 2021. The latest meeting earlier this season featured 11 kills from Emily Knight, 39 assists from Drew Stokes, and 19 digs by Elle Duis.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE SKYHAWKS
The all-time series between Mines and Fort Lewis College is tied at 35-35. However, similar to the rivalry with WCU, the Orediggers have dominated as of late. They own 19 straight wins over the Skyhawks which includes a run of 12 sweeps from 2010-2018. Fort Lewis snapped its streak of sweeps by taking one set later in 2018. The last two meetings between Mines and FLC have gone four sets. Most recently, the Orediggers defeated the Skyhawks in Durango on Oct. 2, 2021. Amanda Donais knocked down 16 kills. Drew Stokes put up 49 assists, eight digs and seven kills. Elle Duis had 25 digs. Fort Lewis volleyball has not played inside Lockridge Arena since Nov. 6, 2018.
 
ANOTHER MILESTONE
Elle Duis became the program's all-time digs leader just over two weeks ago at Regis. This weekend, the Mines graduate student is set to be the first Oredigger to ever record 2,000 digs in her career. Duis currently touts 1,992 digs over the last four-plus seasons which ranks #3 among active career leads in NCAA Division II. Simple math tells us that the Texan needs just eight to reach the milestone and nine to surpass it. Since she's averaging 4.86 digs per set so far this season, it's likely Duis accomplishes the task on Friday night against Western Colorado. Also notable are Duis' 108 career service aces. That ranks #7 on Mines' all-time list, just two back of Sarah Pekarek's 110 at #6. Teammate Drew Stokes ranks #5 on the same list with 117 aces in her career.
 
COUNTDOWN TO #1
Drew Stokes continues her path towards toppling Danielle Johnson-Hazlewood's all-time assists record. Stokes already has 520 assists in 2022 which ranks #2 in the nation in assists per set and #13 in total assists. Those numbers both lead the RMAC as well. With 5,144 career assists, Stokes needs just 231 more to tie the program's all-time record and 232 to break it. Across all divisions of the NCAA, Stokes' 5,144 career assists rank #3 – that includes DI, DII and DIII. Her 11.88 assists per set in her career rank #3 on the same level. Within NCAA Division II, Stokes is #1 among active career leaders in total assists and #2 in assists per set. As noted above, she also owns 117 service aces in her career which rank #5 in program history and sit just eight off #4 and 29 shy of the all-time record.
 
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 326-106 (.754). 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.
 
IN THE POLLS
The latest DII national rankings from American Volleyball Coaches' Association put Mines at #21 in the nation. It marked a two-spot from #19 despite a 2-0 week in RMAC play. Other RMAC teams appearing on the national list included MSU Denver at #2, Regis at #19 and Colorado Mesa at #20. Teams appearing on the Orediggers' 2022 schedule who also appeared on the latest list included #8 Southwest Minnesota State and #22 Hillsdale. CSU Pueblo and Ferris State also received votes.
 
STANDING IN THE HALL OF FAME
As mentioned above,  Oredigger volleyball alum Jackie Stabell is set to 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 on Oct. 8. 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
The Orediggers next travel to Adams State on Sept. 30 and New Mexico Highlands on Oct. 1. 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.