GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team opened Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) action Friday night at home against UCCS and suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Mountain Lions.
In the defeat,
Jenna McLaughlin and
Cadence McDonald still managed 13 kills apiece. McLaughlin converted her kills at a .435 clip while McDonald hit .355. Also notable on offense was
Abbie O'Shay with seven kills on a .429 attack percentage. On defense, McLaughlin knocked down four total blocks including three solo stuffs.
Francesca Nuzzo walked away boasting 17 digs in just three sets. At setter,
Kaiya Gilbert pumped out a 42-assist, 11-dig double-double. She also had five kills. Payton Tompkins was the top hitter for the opposition, converting 17 kills on 39 attempts with just two errors along with nine digs, two blocks, and a service ace.
Mines (7-2, 0-1 RMAC) combined for a team attack percentage of .301 despite UCCS (5-4, 1-0 RMAC) producing eight total blocks. However, the Orediggers had no service aces and the Mountain Lions posted five aces. Mines did have seven blocks of its own while grinding out 56 digs compared to 48 digs by UCCS. Across three sets, the total margin of victory for the visitors was eight points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
If ever a hard-fought sweep existed, Friday's showdown was the epitome of the oxymoron. The entire match featured 36 ties and 15 lead changes, extra points were required in two of the three sets, and the winning team only held statistical advantages in service aces and blocks. The opening set saw Mines open a 17-13 lead before UCCS roared back, forced extra points and stole a 27-25 win. The second set was similar with the Orediggers leading 19-13 before the Mountain Lions used five total blocks to fuel another 27-25 win. Through two sets of action, McLaughlin had hammered out 12 total kills with just two attack errors. Mines even had its best offensive frame of the night in the third, hitting .452 with four total blocks. In the end, UCCS still prevailed in a 25-21, match-clinching win.
NOTABLES
- Mines still holds a 24-27 lead in the all-time series against UCCS.
- The Orediggers are also 7-3 in their last 10 meetings with the Mountain Lions.
- Friday marked the first showdown between Mines and UCCS since the Orediggers ended the Mountain Lions 2025 season in the NCAA tournament.
-
Brinleigh Davis made her 2026 debut Friday night.
- Gilbert's five kills against UCCS matched her collegiate, single-match high.
- McLaughlin's three solo blocks on the Mountain Lions set her new career high.
- Mines Head Coach
Jamie Magalei is now 391-149 in her 19th season at the helm.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines travels to MSU Denver for a 4 p.m. match Saturday. Live coverage links will be available at
www.minesathletics.com.
