Mines (4-6, 1-1 RMAC) vs. Westminster (6-3, 2-0 RMAC) – Lockridge Arena – Friday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (4-6, 1-1 RMAC) vs. #18 Colorado Mesa (8-2, 2-0 RMAC) – Lockridge Arena – Saturday, 5 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]

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HOMECOMING 2024
Colorado School of Mines is celebrating its 2024 Homecoming and its 150th birthday (Mines@150) this weekend. The Oredigger volleyball team will contribute to the festivities with a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) showdowns inside Lockridge Arena. Friday brings Westminster to town for a 7 p.m. match. Saturday will feature Mines and #18-ranked Colorado Mesa at 5 p.m. as the Orediggers celebrate Alumni Night as well. It will be a busy weekend on campus, so fans should note the following parking/shuttle information.
 
PARKING INFORMATION
First and foremost, fans planning to attend either match this weekend should be aware that Parking Lot D (directly west of Lockridge Arena) will be closed and unavailable due to Homecoming festivities. With Lot D unavailable, the McNeil Parking Garage at 1400 Maple Street provides the best option for parking. Additionally, the OreCart will run shuttles from various locations in Golden, including the Parking Lot at The Splash near Fossil Trace Golf Course. The OreCart has extended its Friday hours to 8:30 p.m. and will run on Saturday as well. Parking on city streets outside of Mines' jurisdiction will result in a ticket. Fans can visit the Parking and Directions page for more information.
 
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. 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
Friday's match will feature live video for free on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv with play-by-play commentary provided by Kienan Dixon. Saturday's match will have free video as well, but no play-by-play commentary. There will also be free live stats for each match linked on the Orediggers' schedule page at www.minesathletics.com.
 
ALUMNI NIGHT
Homecoming weekend seemed like the most appropriate time to welcome alumni back to campus and celebrate them, so that's exactly what Mines volleyball decided to do. On Saturday, the Orediggers will have more than 30 alumnae on hand at Lockridge Arena with a private celebration in the McNeil Room and on-court recognition between the second and third sets.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Mines started RMAC play last weekend, traveling to Chadron State on Friday and Colorado Christian on Saturday. The Orediggers split those two matches with a sweep of CSC before falling to CCU in four sets. Taylor Helms and Kate Kudlac both notched 20 kills apiece across seven sets of action with Kudlac converting at .333 on the attack. Presley Powell handled a majority of the setting duties and had 60 assists which she complimented with 11 digs, three kills, three blocks, and one service ace. Defensively, Hannah Kinnison and Jada Price combined for 66 digs. Jenna McLaughlin towered in the middle at the net and brought home 11 total blocks.
 
BRINGING THE 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 38 total blocks in 36 sets of action to rank #6 in the conference. Also notable is fellow freshman Taylor Helms who has 28 total blocks so far this season.
 
APPLYING FOR CLUB 1K
Two Orediggers are chasing 1,000 kills for their respective careers. Graduate transfer Hannah Kinnison is up to 841 career kills after notching 727 at her last two stops. Brianna Binder, who played two full seasons and another partial season at McKendree in Illinois, boasts exactly 800 career kills. The last time two Orediggers on the same roster were legitimately chasing 1,000 career kills at the same time was when Jackie Stabell (Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022) and Melanie Wannamaker played together from 2010-12.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
So far in 2024, Mines has used 17 different Orediggers across 37 sets in 10 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 79 kills and 38 total blocks which rank #2 and #1 on the team, respectively. She's also hitting .294 which is #1 among fulltime attackers. Taylor Helms is not far behind, touting 72 kills and 28 total blocks. Those numbers rank #3 and #2 on the team, respectively. In the back row, Avery Perreira and Olivia Murillo have seen time at libero resulting in 132 combined digs. Perreira's seven aces are also second on the team. Furthermore, Brinleigh Davis seen significant time at setter and dished out 211 assists with 39 digs, 11 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 WESTMINSTER
Westminster University comes to Golden from Salt Lake City as a vastly improved program under third-year head coach Sue Delaney. At 6-3 overall and 2-0 in the RMAC, the Griffins are tied for first in the early version of the conference standings. Non-conference action saw WU down Southern Nazarene, Missouri Southern, Saint Martin's, and Northwest Nazarene. Last weekend, at home, Westminster swept Fort Lewis and dispatched Western Colorado in four sets. As a team, the Griffins are one of the best serving squads in the nation, ranking #22 in NCAA Division II and #1 in the RMAC in aces per set. Westminster also holds opposing hitters to combined .166 attack percentage which ranks #2 in the conference. Individually, Breegan Hunstman leads the WU attack with 93 kills on 302 attempts. Mailei Myers' .312 hitting percentage is also notable as it has resulted in 73 kills. Alanna Lee and Myers tout a combined 33 aces in nine matches, anchoring Westmisnter's elite service game. Lee also has 155 digs while Myers boasts 32 total blocks.
 
MINES AGAINST THE GRIFFINS
The Orediggers are 10-1 in the all-time series with Westminster. They had won 10 straight matches before the Griffins earned their first-ever win over Mines last season. The Orediggers' four-set loss to WU transpired on the road in Salt Lake City. Presley Powell averaged 11.0 assists per set in the defeat. Prior to last year's decision, Mines had swept Westminster in three straight matches and only dropped a total of five sets in 10 meetings.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
The #18-ranked Mavericks of Colorado Mesa are set to face #2-ranked MSU Denver on Friday night before coming to Golden, Colo., on Saturday. At 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the RMAC, the Mavericks are a veteran squad with outstanding performers all over the court, but they will be playing their first true road matches of the season. Despite that factoid, the Mavericks did start 2024 at Lockridge Arena as participants in the Oredigger Volleyball Classic. It was there that CMU knocked off then #5-ranked Concordia-St. Paul. The Mavericks' only loss since came at the hands of now #14-ranked Angelo State. Colorado Mesa started RMAC play last weekend by sweeping Western Colorado and Fort Lewis at Brownson Arena. As stated above, the CMU roster is deep with talent. Sabrina VanDeList, one of the top setters in the nation, has coordinated the show with 12.24 assists per set which ranks #1 in NCAA Division II. She also boasts 84 digs, 17 kills, 15 aces, and 13 total blocks. VanDeList has many options on the attack, but Sydney Leffler is arguably her favorite. Leffler owns 146 kills (4.42 kills per set) on .297 hitting and touts 22 total blocks as well. Nicole Martin leads the team on 28 total blocks. Colorado Mesa is top-10 in the nation in assists per set, hitting percentage, and kills per set.  
 
MINES AGAINST THE MAVERICKS
The Orediggers are 22-46-1 in their rivalry with Colorado Mesa. Unfortunately for Mines, that record includes two straight losses. Most recently, the Mavericks took a four-set decision from the Orediggers in Grand Junction, Colo., on Sept. 23, 2023. In that match, Allison Jansen hit .417 on her way to five error-free kills and Jada Price put up 16 digs. The loss added to a sweep handed out by CMU in Grand Junction in 2022. Prior to the brief skid, Mines had won 14 of its last 20 meetings with the Mavericks. Colorado Mesa Head Coach Dave Fleming is the only current RMAC coach with more career wins while coaching in the conference than Mines' Magalei.
 
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 358-128 (.736). 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?
Mines volleyball has never had a losing season during Head Coach Jamie Magalei's tenure? Magalei's first season saw the Orediggers go 19-13, bouncing back from an 11-20 mark the year prior. Since that winning campaign in 2008, Magalei has guided her squads to 11 seasons featuring at least 20 wins with eight of those going to 25 wins, or more. While the 2023 campaign saw multiple streaks come to an end, Mines' final mark of 14-12 gave Magalei and the Orediggers' their 16th consecutive season with a winning record.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers continue their homestand next weekend, hosting #2-ranked MSU Denver on Friday at 7 p.m. and Colorado Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m. Both matches are part of the RMAC Regional Pod and do not count toward the conference standings. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets. Additionally, there will be free live video of both matches on the RMAC Network and free live stats linked on the volleyball schedule page.
 
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.