COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Mines Men's Club Volleyball opened its 2026-27 season this weekend at the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs Tournament, with both Oredigger squads advancing to the Gold Bracket and finishing among the tournament's top five. Blue finished third overall with a 9-5 set record, while Silver placed fifth with a 4-5 set record.
Blue opened pool play Saturday morning against CU Denver but got off to a slow start, falling 2-0 to begin the tournament.
The Orediggers quickly bounced back in their next match, sweeping Colorado State B 2-0 at 10:30 a.m. The victory gave Blue its first win of the season and provided momentum heading into the afternoon.
Blue continued its turnaround in the crossover round, defeating CCU A 2-0 at 11:45 a.m. The Orediggers then closed out the first day against CCU B at 2 p.m., earning another 2-0 sweep. The result gave Blue six consecutive set victories to close out the day.
The strong finish was enough to send Blue into the Gold Bracket as one of the tournament's top eight teams. The Orediggers also learned they would face their fellow Mines squad, Silver, in the opening round of bracket play.
Silver also began its tournament Saturday morning, opening against CCU A at 9:15 a.m. The Orediggers split the match 1-1, with CCU A earning the pool-play advantage through the point differential.
Silver responded strongly in its next match, sweeping Colorado Mesa University A 2-0 at 10:30 a.m. The Orediggers earned both sets against a tough opponent to put themselves in position to advance.
Silver then concluded pool play against tournament host UCCS A at 3:15 p.m. The Orediggers battled the hosts to a 1-1 split, taking a set from UCCS A and doing enough throughout the day to qualify for the Gold Bracket.
With both Mines squads advancing, the opening round of bracket play on Sunday morning featured an all-Mines matchup between Blue and Silver.
Blue earned the quarterfinal victory, sweeping Silver 3-0 by scores of 25-14, 25-16 and 26-24. The result sent Blue through to the semifinals while bringing Silver's tournament run to an end in the quarterfinals.
Blue then faced Colorado State A in the semifinal at 11:30 a.m. The Orediggers put together a strong effort against the eventual tournament champions but ultimately fell in three sets, 21-25, 19-25 and 21-25.
Despite the semifinal loss, Blue finished third overall in the tournament with a 9-5 set record. Silver finished fifth overall with a 4-5 set record, giving both Mines squads top-five finishes in the season-opening competition.
The weekend provided Mines with its first extended test of the 2026-27 season and an opportunity for both squads to gain valuable tournament experience. Blue's run to third place and Silver's fifth-place finish gave the Orediggers a strong foundation to build upon as the season continues.
With the opening tournament now complete, Mines will return to practice looking to build on the experience gained in Colorado Springs and continue developing throughout the 2026-27 campaign.
