GOLDEN, Colo. – The #2-ranked volleyball team in NCAA Division II came to Lockridge Arena on Friday night. Colorado School of Mines managed to steal a set from MSU Denver, but fell short of its bid for an upset in a four-set loss.
 
Hannah Kinnison was the Orediggers' lead in kills with 14. She also had four digs and two assists. True freshman Taylor Helms was arguably the star of the offense after hammering down 10 kills at .450 efficiency. Morgan McChesney provided additional highlights for Mines by way of seven total blocks along with six kills on .294 hitting. Jada Price notched two service aces. Olivia Murillo ranked first on the team in digs, touting nine and a service ace to boot. Also notable were three blocks apiece for Brinleigh Davis and Kate Kudlac. The former dished out 25 assists, tallied one error-free kills, and put up three digs.
 
As a team, Mines (5-8, 2-2 RMAC) was held under. 200 on the attack. The Orediggers did go block-for-block with one of the best blocking teams in the nation, totaling eight total blocks compared to seven by MSU Denver (13-1, 4-0 RMAC). Despite Mines' defensive performance at the net, the Roadrunners still hit .379 for the match to clinch the win. That being said, the Orediggers produced three service aces and MSU Denver only had two and committed nine service errors. Friday's contest was part of the 2024 RMAC Regional Pod and did not count as a conference match.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The draw of Mines' Aloha Night on Friday filled the stands with more than 500 fans including the Oredigger pep band. Even with the electric crowd on hand, MSU Denver immediately stood behind its #2 ranking and attempted to silence the raucous Oredigger fans, hitting .548 in the first set and .500 in the second set on the way to wins of 25-12 and 25-14. But Mines nation would not be deterred.
 
With a majority of the 500-plus still in the stands, the Orediggers exploded in the third frame and upended the Roadrunners in a 25-13 victory. Six kills from Kinnison were impressive, no doubt. However, five blocks as a team including four off the hands of McChesney were the real story. The home team's presence at the net resulted in MSU Denver hitting .000 for the game. At the end of the day, the Roadrunners proved resilient and clinched the win behind a 25-17, set-four victory. They hit over .400 in every game except the third.
 
NOTABLES
- Friday was the first meeting between Mines and MSU Denver in Lockridge Arena during the regular season since 2019.
- The Orediggers and Roadrunners hadn't played in Golden since 2022 when they faced off inside Volk Gymnasium.
- MSU Denver managed its first regular-season victory in Lockridge Arena since 2015.
- Only one of the last 18 meetings between Mines and the Roadrunners has ended in straight sets.
- Davis and Kudlac both matched their collegiate bests with three total blocks on Friday.
- McChesney also matched her career high in blocks thanks to seven against MSU Denver. She also had seven against Fort Hays State to start the 2023 season.
- Helms surpassed 100 kills for the season and for her collegiate career.
- Head Coach Jamie Magalei is now 359-130 in her 17th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers host Colorado Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m.. Free live stats and video on the RMAC Network will be available for both matches.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on "X" (formerly Twitter) at @minesvolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also follow all of Mines Athletics year around on Facebook, "X", and Instagram at @MinesAthletics.