GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Oredigger volleyball dodged the sweep on Saturday evening, but couldn't complete the comeback as they dropped a 3-1 match to #11-ranked Colorado Mesa on the road at Brownson Arena.
 
Rose Stuewe was Mines' top weapon on offense. She led the team with 13 kills while hitting .429. Madison Glassco also produced double-digit kills, notching 10 for the match. Also notable on offense was Allison Jansen who had five kills and no errors which resulted in a .417 attack percentage. On defense, Morgan McChesney tallied three total blocks and Jada Price came up with 16 digs. Renata Bolado Corona did a little bit of everything as evidenced by seven digs, three service aces, two assists, and one kill. Oredigger setter Presley Powell's line featured 41 assists, three digs, one block, and one kill.
 
Mines (6-6, 1-3 RMAC) did hit .200 as a team for the match despite being out-blocked by Colorado Mesa (12-1, 4-1 RMAC). The Orediggers had five blocks, but the Mavericks still converted at a .284 clip on the night. Sydney Leffler was the top performer for CMU as she posted 17 kills while hitting .368 with three blocks as well.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game one was all Colorado Mesa. The home team held Mines to .056 on the attack and hit .355 themselves on the way to a 25-14 win. Game two featured six ties and one lead change as the Orediggers hung tough with nationally-ranked CMU through the first 28 points. However, a 5-0 run for Colorado Mesa pushed the Mavericks to a 20-13 lead that Mines could not overcome. The Mavericks would win 25-17. That put the Orediggers on the precipice of being swept. But the visitors were not done yet.
 
The third set of the night was easily the most exciting, featuring nine ties and six lead changes. This time it was a run for the Orediggers that made the difference. With CMU leading, 12-11, Mines surged on a 10-3 run to take a 21-15 advantage. Stuewe, who had five kills in the frame, knocked down four of the Orediggers' last five points to give her team a 25-19 win while avoiding the sweep. However, Colorado Mesa opened the fourth set on a 10-1 run and did not look back. Mines posted a 5-0 run in protest, but the Mavericks would close out another 25-17 to clinch the victory.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines still sits 6-4 in its last 10 matchups with Colorado Mesa.
- Glassco had four digs against CMU which put her over 100 digs for her career.
- Colorado Mesa was the Orediggers' first nationally-ranked opponent this season.
- Powell surged past 500 assists for the season and for her career.
- Head Coach Jamie Magalei now boasts a career record of 346-116 in her 16th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines heads to Lakewood, Colo., next Friday and Saturday for a RMAC pod at Colorado Christian. The Orediggers play #8-ranked MSU Denver on Friday before another showdown with Colorado Christian on Saturday. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be linked 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.