Mines (5-7, 2-2 RMAC) vs. #2 MSU Denver (12-1, 4-0 RMAC) – Lockridge Arena – Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (5-7, 2-2 RMAC) vs. Colorado Christian (8-5, 3-1 RMAC) – Lockridge Arena – Saturday, 5 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]

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RMAC REGIONAL POD
This weekend marks the 2024 edition of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Regional Pod. That means a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) opponents are coming to Lockridge Arena to play the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team in a set of non-conference matches. It's the second iteration of the regional pod which was approved to help teams with strength of schedule and regional seeding. Mines' opponents will be #2-ranked MSU Denver and Colorado Christian. The Orediggers and Roadrunners play on Friday at 7 p.m. with the Cougars in town on Saturday at 5 p.m.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print tickets at home ahead of each match by going to www.minesathletics.com/tickets. That being said, tickets can be purchased at the door. Adults are $10, children, seniors, and military are $5. Mines faculty, staff, and students get in free with their Blaster Card. Additionally, children age 11 and under are free. 
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Both matches will be streamed live and for free on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv. Additionally, Saturday's match will feature play-by-play commentary provided by Miles Dunklin. There will also be free live stats for each match linked on the Orediggers' schedule page at www.minesathletics.com.
 
ALOHA NIGHT
The theme for Friday's match against #2 MSU Denver is Aloha Night and it's presented by Kona Bowls. Headline sponsor Kona Bowls, along with fellow Oredigger partners Dominos and Gold Mine Cupcakes, will have free samples and food for Mines students at the door. There will also be contests and games with prizes available throughout the match.
 
OFFICIATION WEEK
September 27 until October 5 is national Girls & Women's Volleyball Officials Appreciation Week. With coordination provided by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA), the fourth annual "Officiation" lays out a nine-day period to make sure volleyball officials know they are a key part of the sport and their efforts are greatly valued. With a shortage of officials at all levels across numerous sports, it is more important than ever to show the officials at any contest appreciation and respect as they work tirelessly to make the games happen.
 
HOMECOMING REWIND
Last weekend, the Orediggers celebrated Mines@150 Homecoming Weekend and also played their first home RMAC matches of the 2024 season. Friday brought Westminster to town and the result was a thrilling, five-set win for Mines. The Orediggers had to execute a reverse sweep after dropping sets one and two by scores of 25-16 and 25-13. An extra-points, 27-25 win in game three turned the tables. Mines clinched the match by taking frame four, 25-21, and the fifth set, 15-10. A massive 19-kill, 18-dig double-double from Hannah Kinnison fueled the win as Presley Powell posted a 39-assist, 10-dig double-double as well. Saturday saw the Orediggers fall to #18 Colorado Mesa in straight sets, but the bright spot came off the court as more than 30 program alumnae returned to Lockridge Arena.
 
BIG BLOCK
Historically, Mines volleyball has thrived on terminating the ball at a very high rate on the attack. That premise is supported by ranking as high as #1 and often in the top-five in the national statistical rankings in team hitting percentage over the past decade. All that being said, a high attack percentage rarely requires much attention to the block. However, in 2024, the Orediggers have flipped the script. They are bringing the block at a very high level, averaging over 2.00 blocks per set. They rank #3 in the RMAC in total blocks and #4 in blocks per set. Both those numbers are top-100 in the nation as well. Individually, Jenna McLaughlin is the tip of the spear. She touts 49 total blocks in 44 sets of action to rank #6 in the conference. Also notable is fellow freshman Taylor Helms who has 31 total blocks so far this season.
 
CHASING 1,000
Two Orediggers are chasing 1,000 kills for their respective careers. Graduate transfer Hannah Kinnison is up to 868 career kills after notching 727 between stops at University of San Francisco and Angelo State. Brianna Binder, who played two full seasons and another partial season at McKendree in Illinois, boasts 801 career kills. The last time two Orediggers on the same roster were legitimately chasing 1,000 career kills simultaneously was when Jackie Stabell (Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022) and Melanie Wannamaker played together from 2010-12.
 
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
So far in 2024, Mines has used 17 different Orediggers across 45 sets in 12 matches. Of those 17 student-athletes, eight are true freshmen and nine had never played in a NCAA volleyball match prior to this season. Middle blocker Jenna McLaughlin is fueling the youth movement with her 86 kills and 49 total blocks. She's also hitting .269 which is #1 among fulltime attackers. Taylor Helms is shouldering plenty of the load as well, boasting 92 kills and 31 total blocks. In the back row, Avery Perreira and Olivia Murillo have seen time at libero resulting in 163 combined digs. Perreira's seven aces are also third on the team. Furthermore, Brinleigh Davis seen significant time at setter and dished out 220 assists with 41 digs, 12 total blocks, seven kills and two aces. Additional contributions to the explosion of Oredigger youth have come from Ava Swan, Layla Padgett, and Emma Dunwoody.
 
NEW RULES
Collegiate volleyball implemented multiple changes to the rules for the 2024 season. Two of the changes will be most noticeable to fans. Teams are now allowed to designate two liberos for each set, if they so choose. Liberos are defensive players who play only in the back row, have rules against leaving the ground to attack, and substitute differently than other players. While teams can designate two liberos, only one of designees can be in the match at any given time. The change opens options for strategy in service and serve receive. The second notable change applies to the setters. Previously, setters, and other players, had to make sure both hands hit the ball at the same time or be called for a double touch (ball handling error). Now, the setter, and other players, can double touch as long as the set does not go over the net.
 
MAGALEI HONORED BY ALMA MATER
Colorado School of Mines Volleyball Head Coach Jamie Magalei has accumulated numerous accolades during her 17 seasons at the helm. This fall, she'll add another honor to her resume. The University of North Dakota, where Magalei played as Jamie Skadeland from 2001-04, announced the Mines head lady as the 2024 recipient of the school's Tom Clifford Award. The Clifford Award, established to honor former UND President Thomas J. Clifford, recognizes the UND alum who serves as an athletics coach at the high school or collegiate level and has been notable successful in their sport. With over 350 career wins at Mines, Magalei has certainly displayed notable success as she ranks top-25 among active coaches in NCAA Division II. She was an exceptional player as well, still ranking eighth all-time at UND in career assists (2,791), fourth all-time in single-season assists (1,417), and is one of only 20 individuals to post 1,000 digs in program history. Magalei also helped North Dakota reach the national tournament in 2002 and 2003 – the first appearances in program history.
 
SCOUTING MSU DENVER
The Metropolitan State University Denver Volleyball team comes to Golden, Colo., this weekend touting an overall record of 12-1, a RMAC record of 4-0, and a national ranking of #2. Over the last half decade, the Roadrunners have only lost two matches in conference play, and just five total since the 2018 campaign. Their only loss so far in 2024 came against then #13-ranked Chaminade at the Colorado Premier Challenge, falling in five sets. Since then, MSU Denver has run off six straight victories including three sweeps, two four-setters, and one five-set decision. On Tuesday, the Roadrunners started their RMAC Regional Pod with a 3-0 win at home against Colorado Christian. Last weekend, the defending conference champions improved to 4-0 in RMAC play by toppling #18 Colorado Mesa in four frames, and sweeping Westminster. As a team, MSU Denver ranks top-25 in NCAA Division II in assists per set, blocks per set, hitting percentage, kills per set, winning percentage, and total team blocks. A deep Roadrunners roster is led on offense by Riley Anderson who has 151 kills on .310 hitting. Annika Helf touts 128 kills on a .349 attack percentage. On defense, it's Alyssa Boyte and Kryssa Moerman boasting a combined 123 total blocks. An additional 51 total blocks have come off the hands of Maddy Williams.
 
MINES AGAINST THE ROADRUNNERS
The Orediggers trail MSU Denver in the all-time series by a margin of 21-69. That includes an active, four-match skid for Mines against the Roadrunners. Even so, the Orediggers own four wins in their last 10 meetings with MSU Denver. The last time Mines was victorious over the Roadrunners was on Nov. 20, 2021, in the championship match of the RMAC tournament. The Orediggers toppled then #1-ranked MSU Denver in five sets. Last season, the two programs met twice with the Roadrunners sweeping Mines in Lakewood on Sept. 29, before the Orediggers pushed MSU Denver to five sets on Nov. 8 in Denver. The five-set heartbreaker saw Allison Jansen hit .500 with eight kills. Jade Price put up 16 digs. Mines last played the Roadrunners in Golden, Colo., on Oct. 8, 2022. That match took place in Volk Gym over Homecoming Weekend, and was another five-set heartbreaker with MSU Denver ranking #2 in the nation at the time. The Orediggers and Roadrunners haven't played each other in Lockridge Arena since 2019 when the home team won in five sets.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Colorado Christian opened its RMAC Regional Pod on Tuesday with a straight-set loss to #2 MSU Denver in Denver. That moved the Cougars to 8-5 on the year. They are 3-1 in RMAC play. Prior to the midweek match with the Roadrunners, CCU won in three sets at Fort Lewis on Friday, and found victory in four sets at Western Colorado on Saturday. At the halfway point of the 2024 season, Colorado Christian is showing improvement from a 12-15 (7-7 RMAC) campaign in 2023. Abby Breeding is their top hitter with 124 kills across 43 sets. Renee Phillips has 120 kills and a .356 attack percentage. Abby Newell also has 120 kills. Izzy Jones runs the offense to the tune of 11.11 assists per set. She also has 11 aces. Shelby Hernandez churns out 4.70 digs per set in the back row, and Lilly Woods owns the net thanks to 54 total blocks.
 
MINES AGAINST THE COUGARS
Saturday marks the second of three scheduled meetings between the Orediggers and Colorado Christian in 2024. The first came on the opening weekend of RMAC play after Mines had traveled back from Chadron State the night before. Colorado Christian won in four sets. That moved the all-time series to 43-25, in favor of the Orediggers, but snapped Mines' six-match win streak against CCU. The Orediggers are 7-3 in their last 10 meetings with the Cougars. Mines and Colorado Christian will face off again on Oct. 31 in Lakewood. That contest will be part of the RMAC Power Pod and also not count toward the conference standings.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Jamie Magalei is in her 17th season leading the Mines volleyball program in 2024. She is easily the program's all-time leader in total wins and win percentage at 359-129 (.735). Prior to the 2024 season, her winning percentage ranked inside the top-20 among active coaches in NCAA Division II, and her total wins are top-50 in the same category. Additionally, her winning percentage prior to 2024 ranked 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 2023, Magalei has coached 31 all-America selections, three Academic All-Americans, and 65 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 from 2009-22 (no NCAA tournament in 2020). 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.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Colorado School of Mines was a charter (original) member of what is now the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), but it hasn't always been the RMAC. The original name of the league was Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference. That changed to Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference (RMFAC) in 1910. It was commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from 1910 through the 1960s. The league became the RMAC in 1967. It is the fifth-oldest active college athletic conference in the United States, the oldest in NCAA Division II, and the sixth-ever to be founded after the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Big Ten Conference, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Ohio Athletic Conference, and the Missouri Valley Conference. All the above is according to Wikipedia, so take it as you will.
 
UP NEXT
After two ranked opponents in a span of three matches, Mines gets a lighter schedule after this weekend. The Orediggers only action next week is a single showdown at New Mexico Highlands on Friday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. Free live video will be streamed on the RMAC Network and fee live stats will be linked at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on "X" (formerly 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, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.