GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team opened its 2025 campaign on Thursday night with a 3-1 victory against South Dakota Mines inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Thursday's non-conference showdown between Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) foes was the first match of the 2025 Oredigger Volleyball Classic presented by Marriot Denver West. Oredigger veteran Amanda Donais Dudley orchestrated the win with a 13-kill, 10-dig double-double. Her resume also included two blocks and one assist as she returned from a three-year hiatus for her final year of eligibility.
 
Colorado School of Mines found additional highlights up and down the roster. True freshman Tori Garrett matched Donais Dudley's 13 kills while adding four service aces, four total blocks, and four digs in her collegiate debut. Fellow rookie Abbie O'Shay turned in 12 kills, three blocks, and two digs. Sophomore middle blocker Jenna McLaughlin made it a quartet of Orediggers touting double-digit kills after smacking down 10. McLaughlin added seven total blocks and one service ace as well. Hailee Martinez, another Mines newcomer but no stranger to college volleyball, handed out 38 assists and put up nine digs. Also notable were 16 digs courtesy of senior libero Jada Price. Francesca Nuzzo, a junior college transfer, put together a resume featuring eight digs, two blocks, two service aces, and two kills.
 
As a team, the Orediggers (1-0) hit just .181 but held the advantage over South Dakota Mines (0-1) which converted at a .127 clip. Other Oredigger edges in the box score included points (71-63), kills (53-44), service aces (8-7), and assists (50-40). The Hardrockers totaled 12 blocks compared to 10 for the home team. Each team worked out 55 digs. With the victory, the Orediggers posted their 12th consecutive 1-0 start to a season and the 17th season-opening win since 2008.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
South Dakota Mines grasped the momentum early and claimed a 7-3 lead over the Orediggers. The home team held steady. Two kills off the hand of Donais Dudley and a series of SDM miscues sparked a 7-2 run for the squad from Colorado and thrust the Orediggers back into the mix. First-set points were exchanged all the way to 16-16 before a Garrett kill, a McLaughlin ace, and a block from O'Shay and Garrett afforded Colorado School of Mines a 19-16 lead. The margin was all the home team needed to pull out a 25-23 win as a pair of attack errors handed the home team the set and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Game two was all Orediggers. They leapt to a 7-1 lead and didn't look back. There were three ties and zero lead changes. McLaughlin was a perfect 5-for-5 on the attack and added one block. Garrett and O'Shay totaled three kills apiece. In the end, Garrett's three service aces were the true highlight of the second frame. The final score was Colorado School of Mines 25, South Dakota Mines 21. In the third set, the Orediggers trailed 18-12, but rallied back to tease a sweep. But the visitors held them off and dodged a 3-0 loss thanks to a 25-23 win. The final frame of the night was a mostly dominant performance by the home team. Colorado School of Mines laid claim to a 10-3 lead which turned into 16-6 and then 20-10. Out of timeouts, South Dakota Mines grasped at straws and managed to narrow the gap. However, Garrett ended it all with her 13th kill in a 25-18, match-clinching win.
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers are 11-6 in the all-time series against the Hardrockers.
- Saturday marked Colorado School of Mines' first win over SDM since 2022.
- Donais Dudley played for the Orediggers from 2018-21 but graduated as an all-American with one season of eligibility remaining. Her performance Thursday pushed the graduate student past 900 career kills and 700 career digs.
- Garrett, O'Shay, and Cadence McDonald all made their collegiate volleyball debuts on Thursday against the Hardrockers.
- The 2025 opener also marked the first appearance in a Mines uniform for Nuzzo and Martinez.
- Donais Dudley's double-double against SDM marked the 18th of her collegiate career.
- In the 20th edition of the Oredigger Classic, Colorado School of Mines is now 58-20 in the event. The Orediggers are also 52-14 in the invite under Head Coach Jamie Magalei.
- Since 2014, Mines is 30-10 at the Oredigger classic with Thursday marking its ninth four-set victory in the event.
- Head Coach Jamie Magalei is now 364-139 in her 18th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers face Davenport and Valdosta State on Friday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, inside Lockridge Arena. Live video will be available with a subscription via the RMAC Network. Free live stats will also be linked on the Mines Athletics home page and on social media.
 
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.