GOLDEN, Colo. – Homecoming magic was in the air Friday evening as the Colorado School of Mines volleyball team upset #8 MSU Denver in straight sets at Volk Gymnasium.
The match marked Mines' (11-3) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Regional Pod finale and was one of two Oredigger home contests to kickoff Mines 2025 Homecoming Weekend. It was a team effort all around with
Amanda Donais Dudley leading the way in the box score. She registered an 11-kill, 13-dig double-double while hitting .611 and adding five total blocks on one ace.
Francesca Nuzzo's 13 kills were the most of any player in the match as she hit .393 and added six digs and one service ace.
Abbie O'Shay produced four blocks and six kills.
Jenna McLaughlin posted seven kills, just one attack error and three total blocks.
Jada Price put in work to the tune of 10 digs and two service aces. Also notable were five kills on .400 hitting with two blocks from
Cadence McDonald.
Dominance in nearly every statistical category, and a little luck, was Mines' recipe for success. The Orediggers had 10 more kills, four fewer attack errors, seven more assists, 14 more digs, and one more block than nationally-ranked and defending RMAC champion MSU Denver (9-3). The Roadrunners matched Mines' four service aces. They also benefited from Annika Helf's 12 kills, 11 digs, two blocks and one service ace. Overall, the Orediggers hit .351 compared to a .223 clip by MSU Denver. The victory for Mines was its first against the Roadunners since 2021, snapping a seven-match skid. The win also marked the Orediggers' second over a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the middle of September, Mines and then-#4 MSU Denver played their conference opener at Lockridge Arena. The Roadrunners prevailed in five sets after the Orediggers attempted a reverse sweep of the defending RMAC champions. Friday's affair in Mines' old home, Volk Gymnasium, was very different. In the opening set, the hosts claimed a 10-3 lead and did not look back. Five error-free kills off the hand of Nuzzo, plus five digs from Price fueled a 25-16 win. As a team, Mines hit .414 in the frame, registered four blocks, and limited the Roadrunners to .139 on the attack.
The second set was a bit spicier, as told by eight ties. However, there was only one lead change. MSU Denver's early, 3-0 lead quickly dissipated when two Donais Dudley kills and a Roadrunners' error produced a 3-0 run for Mines. Nuzzo gave the Orediggers their first lead of the frame at 6-5. McLaughlin afforded Mines a 7-6 advantage as well. The Roadrunners eventually tied the game again at 18-18. From there, the rivals went back-and-forth all the way to 25-25. Extra points were short lived after back-to-back attack errors by the visitors handed the home team a 27-25 win. Donais Dudley and Nuzzo each tallied a quartet of second-set kills as Mines hit .351 as a team with six digs by Price.
At the end of the day, the Orediggers dominated the third set. In just a few minutes, the score was 13-3 in favor of Mines. While MSU Denver brought a valiant comeback effort, the home team clinched the 3-0 victory behind a 25-21 margin. Donais Dudley was the spark that brought the Orediggers home, registering six kills on .750 hitting along with six digs and one block.
NOTABLES
- Mines last defeated MSU Denver in the 2021 RMAC Tournament championship match in Denver when the Roadrunners were ranked #1 in the nation.
- The Orediggers most recent 3-0 win against the Roadrunners was Nov. 4, 2014.
- MSU Denver hasn't lost a match in three sets since Oct. 26, 2023.
- Friday's match did not count in the conference standings due to the nature of the RMAC Regional Pod.
- Five of the last 10 meetings between Mines and MSU Denver (including Friday night) have last five sets. Only three of those contests ended in three sets.
- Nuzzo registered the 100th service ace of her collegiate career Friday night which includes two years at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. Her teammate at NJC was Annika Helf.
- Nuzzo's 13 kills are a single-match best as an Oredigger.
- Mines Head Coach
Jamie Magalei is now 374-142 in her 18th season at the helm.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines resumes RMAC play next weekend at CSU Pueblo on Friday and at Colorado Christian on Saturday. Free live stats will be available, as well as live video with a subscription to the RMAC Network.
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.
