Mines (8-7, 2-3 RMAC) at South Dakota Mines (10-6, 4-2 RMAC) – Rapid City, S.D. – Saturday, 6 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (8-7, 2-3 RMAC) at Black Hills State (5-11, 0-6 RMAC) – Spearfish, S.D. – Saturday, 3 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
If the title of this section has been used before, it's for good reason. After opening the season at its own Oredigger Classic, the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team has played eight of its last 11 matches away from home. That trend continues this weekend as the Orediggers open a four-match road trip in South Dakota. The journey begins Friday in Rapid City, S.D., at South Dakota Mines with a 6 p.m. first serve. Colorado School of Mines closes the weekend on Saturday in Spearfish, S.D., at Black Hills State. That match is slated to start at 3 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Free live video will be offered on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv. In fact, all of Mines matches for the rest of the season will be available on the RMAC Network. There will also be free live stats this weekend at the individual links above.
 
ONE NIGHT ONLY
The Orediggers broke up their seemingly unending road trip last Saturday with a single match against New Mexico Highlands. Mines' brief return to Lockridge Arena was a relative success as the home team rolled to a 3-0 win over NMHU. Along the way, the Orediggers broke the program record for hitting percentage in a single match, converting at a clip of .506. Shannon Perna led that charge with 10 kills on 14 attempts while committing zero errors for a .714 attack percentage. Additionally, Madison Glassco's 12 kills led all players as she hit .385. Emily Knight was error-free as well, hitting .538 with seven kills. On defense, Knight produced three total blocks. Floor captain Presley Powell put a bow on the box score, touting 37 assists, three digs, one block, one ace, and one kill.
 
1,000 KILLS AND COUNTING
Rose Stuewe surpassed 1,000 kills for her career during Mines' first road trip of the year which took the Orediggers to California and The Cougar Classic hosted by Cal State San Marcos. The milestone kill came against Concordia Irvine when she tied the third set at 19-19. Mines went on to win the match in four sets. Now, 15 matches into the season and five into conference play, Stuewe touts 191 kills for the year and  1,115 for her career. As of Friday, the Texan needs just 151 kills to break onto Mines' all-time career list.
 
PRESLEY POWELL
Oredigger true freshman setter Presley Powell has established herself as one of the best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference during her inaugural collegiate season.. In the very first match of her post-prep career, the Texas native dished out 64 assists which tied for #7 in the Mines record book. Those 64 assists are also tied for the most in any NCAA Division II four-set match this season. Through 15 contests, Powell's 618 assists rank #38 in NCAA Division II and her average of 10.66 assists per set rank #16 in the division. Both those numbers also sit #2 in the RMAC.
 
GOING THE DISTANCE
The Orediggers have played four five-set matches during the 2023 so far. They boast a record of 3-1 in those contests. It marks the most five-set matches Mines has played during the regular season since 2019 which featured a quartet of five-set showdowns as well. The Orediggers were 1-3 when going the distance in 2019. Also notable are seven five-set matches for the Orediggers during the 2018 regular season. They dominated the marathon affairs with a mark of 5-2.
 
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines volleyball is off to one of its best starts in recent history under veteran head coach Lauren Prochazka. At 10-6 overall and 4-2 in RMAC play, the Hardrockers are currently tied for #4 in the conference standings. After a five-set heartbreaker to start the season, SDM ripped off five straight wins to fuel its current record. Most recently, the Hardrockers earned four-set conference wins against Western Colorado and Fort Lewis. One was at home and the other on the road. Also notable on the other side of the win-loss column is a five-set defeat at the hands of Black Hills State during the RMAC Power Pod. Six of the Hardrockers' 10 wins have come in straight sets. Conversely, four of their six losses are also in straight sets. As a team, SDM's main strength is the service game where they rank #17 in the nation in service aces per set. Individually, Hannah Benes fuels that number, boasting 41 aces at a clip of 0.72 per set. Those numbers rank #6 and #2, respectively, in all of NCAA Division II. Other team leaders include Alessandra Meoni with 194 kills while hitting .312, Kiley Metzger with 419 assists, Benes with 279 digs at 4.89 digs per set, and Kiera Walsh with 51 total blocks. Annelise Larson also touts 46 total blocks, averaging nearly 1.00 blocks per set.
 
MINES AGAINST THE HARDROCKERS
Colorado School of Mines is 10-4 in the all-time series against South Dakota Mines. That includes an active win streak of five matches. Last season, the Orediggers took a 3-1 win off SDM in South Dakota before sweeping the Hardrockers in Golden, Colo. Across those two matches, Rose Stuewe combined for 24 kills and Emily Knight stacked up 22 kills. Knight also totaled six blocks between the two meetings. Colorado School of Mines' five-match win streak against its STEM counterpart includes three 3-0 wins and two four-setters. The last time South Dakota Mines defeated the Orediggers was Oct. 5, 2019, in a five-set thriller at Lockridge Arena. That decision makes Colorado School of Mines 10-1 in its last 11 meetings with the Hardrockers.
 
SCOUTING BLACK HILLS STATE
Black Hills State will start the weekend with a record of 5-11 overall while sitting 0-6 in conference play. The Yellow Jackets host #6-ranked MSU Denver on Friday night before welcoming Mines to Spearfish, S.D., on Saturday. It's notable that BHSU started its season 3-1 at the Yellowjacket Invitational in Billings, Mont. However, the Yellow Jackets have only found two wins since then. One of the victories was a 3-2 win over South Dakota Mines during the RMAC Power Pod. A major individual bright spot for BHSU is well-known libero Haedyn Rhoades. She touts 315 digs, averaging 5.00 digs per set. Notable on offense is Abigail Renner who is over 200 kills for the season. No hitter for Black Hills State has an attack percentage over .200.
 
MINES AGAINST THE YELLOW JACKETS
The Orediggers own a record of 15-1 in the all-time series against Black Hills State. Their only loss to the Yellow Jackets was the first-ever meeting between the two programs on Oct. 24, 1992. Since that time, Mines has won 15 straight from Oct. 27, 2012, until now. That run includes 11 sweeps and a quartet of four-setters. The Orediggers and BHSU have never played a five-set match. The 2022 edition of the series included a 3-1 win for Mines in Spearfish and a 3-0 win for the Orediggers in Golden. Rose Stuewe stacked up 19 kills across the two meetings and Emily Knight notched seven total blocks.
 
SHE'S THE BOSS
Head Coach Jamie Magalei is in her 16th season leading the Mines volleyball program in 2023. She is easily the program's all-time leader in total wins and win percentage at 347-116 (.749). As of Aug. 30, 2023, her winning percentage ranked inside the top-20 among active coaches in NCAA Division II, and her total wins were top-50 in the same category. Additionally, her current winning percentage is top-25 all-time in DII. Magalei surpassed 300 career wins in 2021. She's one of six to reach the milestone while coaching in the RMAC. Through 2022, Magalei has coached 31 all-America selections, three Academic All-Americans, and 63 all-conference performers. Her resume also includes three Regional Players of the Year, two Regional Freshmen of the Year, and 16 RMAC major award winners. Magalei has guided Mines to six RMAC regular-season championships, and five RMAC Tournament titles with 13 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. The North Dakota native also guided the Orediggers to either a conference regular-season or tournament title every season from 2012-21 including a sweep of both in 2015.
 
UP NEXT
Mines continues its road trip next weekend with a stop at CSU Pueblo on Friday before journeying to Alamosa, Colo., and Adams State on Saturday. There will be free live stats linked on the Orediggers' homepage and free video on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletic.com/tv.
 
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.