GOLDEN, Colo. – Mines volleyball broke its program record for consecutive 3-0 wins Saturday evening with a sweep of Fort Lewis at Lockridge Arena.
Abbie O'Shay led an offense that clicked on all cylinders by registering 11 kills on .556 hitting.
Caroline Walden attacked with equal efficiency as she notched 10 error-free kills. Rounding out the top performances on offense were
Naomi Romslo and
Jenna McLaughlin who had nine kills each. Romslo converted at .368 and McLaughlin's attack percentage was .533. McLaughlin starred on defense as well, recording four total blocks.
Emily Rohrer came off the bench and tallied three total blocks.
Francesca Nuzzo was stellar in the back row with her 16 digs in just three sets.
Kaiya Gilbert posted 10 digs and 32 assists for another double-double. She also had two kills, one ace, and two blocks.
The previous Mines (15-3, 6-2 RMAC) record for consecutive sweeps was seven which was established in 2021 at the end of the regular season and the start of the RMAC tournament. Fort Lewis (10-8, 4-4 RMAC) had little answer for the Oredigger offense which converted at a .363 clip. Mines' defense churned out four blocks and held the Skyhawks under .100 on the attack. The Orediggers also used four service aces to assert dominance over FLC. Mines finished the night touting significant advantages in points, kills, aces, blocks, assists, and digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
During the first set alone, McLaughlin cruised to six error-free kills, Gilbert had 15 assists, and Nuzzo registered eight digs. That production resulted in a 25-17 win for the home team which converted at .417 on offense as well. The second set was similar with O'Shay taking the lead on four kills. McLaughlin posted two more blocks, and Walden walked away touting four digs in the second frame alone. Mines rode those performances to a 25-13 win and a 2-0 lead in the match. The final set saw Walden hammer down six error-free kills on 10 attempts while Rohrer knock out three total blocks. In the end, the visitors hit just .028 in the third set while Mines hit .406 and clinched the record-breaking sweep with a 25-14 victory.
NOTABLES
- Mines is now 40-36 in the all-time series against Fort Lewis.
- The Orediggers haven't lost to the Skyhawks in Golden since 2007.
- Mines has totaled 10 3-0 wins in 2026.
- Along with the program record for consecutive sweeps, the Orediggers also established the new top mark for consecutive sets won at 24. The previous mark was 22 which also dated back to 2021 when Mines closed the regular season and started the RMAC tournament with seven straight 3-0 wins and a victory in the first set of the conference tournament semifinals.
- Mines' run of sweeps is tied for the longest active run in NCAA Division II. The only other team matching the Orediggers is top-ranked Ferris State which has swept eight straight matches and won 25 consecutive sets.
- Walden's .556 attack percentage against FLC was the best single-match performance of her career.
- Mines Head Coach
Jamie Magalei is now 399-150 in her 19th season at the helm.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines plays at Westminster and Colorado Mesa next Friday and Saturday. Free live stats and video with a subscription to the RMAC Network will be available.
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.
