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RMAC OPENING WEEKEND
The Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team opens Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play on the road Friday and Saturday at #15-ranked Regis and Colorado Christian before traveling to Colorado Springs for a midweek match at UCCS Sept. 11. The Orediggers carry an overall record of 6-2 into their conference openers after dropping a pair of matches at the UIndy Invitational last weekend. Regis sits 4-4 on the season with five matches against nationally-ranked opponents while Colorado Christian holds a mark of 2-7. UCCS also sits under .500 at 2-6.
 
CIRCLE CITY IN REVIEW
Last weekend the Orediggers traveled to Indianapolis for the UIndy Invitational. Mines bounced back from a sweep at the hands of Harding to win back-to-back matches. The first win of the weekend came in a five-set thriller against Winona State followed by a sweep of Quincy. Home-court advantage played a role in the weekend finale as the Orediggers fell in five sets to the hosting Greyhounds of UIndy. Abby Tiesman led the team with 48 kills. Drew Stokes dished out 149 assists and Elle Duis racked up 82 digs.
 
STARTING STRONG
Under head coach Jamie Magalei, Mines is 15-5 on the first weekend of conference play. The Orediggers are currently riding a 10-match, opening-weekend win streak dating back to 2013. With Magalei at the helm, Mines has gone 8-3 in 11 sweeps, 4-0 in four-set affairs and 3-2 in five-set thrillers through the first two matches of RMAC play. Since 2013, the Orediggers have dropped just five sets on the opening weekend of RMAC action.
 
REGIS FIELDHOUSE
Friday's match will be held inside Regis Fieldhouse on the campus of Regis just outside downtown Denver. Built in 1960, the venue seats 1,800 spectators and also serves as the home court for the men's and women's basketball teams. The Fieldhouse also served as the site of the first three rounds of the 2017 NCAA Volleyball tournament. Seating is arranged in two tiers allowing fans courtside access or a birds-eye view of Regis home events.
 
SCOUTING THE RANGERS
Despite a .500 record coming into the weekend, Regis sits #15 in the AVCA DII Poll thanks to a schedule chock full of nationally-ranked teams. Five of the Rangers' eight nonconference matches have been played against teams inside the top 25 including wins over #2 Southwest Minnesota State, #5 Western Washington and #21 Missouri Western. As a team, Regis is hitting .211 on the season with 445 kills, 417 assists with 56.0 total blocks. The Rangers were picked by the conference's coaches to win the RMAC and boast the league's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year in Nikki Kennedy.
 
CCU EVENT CENTER
Built with airline hangar-like architecture, the CCU Event Center seats 1,100 and also serves as the home for the Cougars' men's and women's basketball teams. The university also holds weekly campus chapel in the event center along with numerous campus-wide events including intramurals and other special activities. Seating goes right down to the floor creating a potentially raucous, intimate atmosphere for CCU home events.
 
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Colorado Christian's sub-.500 record is not one to be scoffed at as the 2-7 Cougars have faced four nationally-ranked teams in their first nine matches. CCU nearly knocked off #8-ranked Southwest Minnesota State at the Colorado Premier Tournament in Denver, but fell in five sets. The Cougars also took #3-ranked Lewis to five sets last Saturday in the same tournament. Colorado Christian is only hitting .161 with 454 kills but have recorded 53.0 total blocks. Picked fourth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, CCU also carries RMAC Preseason Setter of the Year Kylee Wurster on its roster.
 
GALLOGLY EVENTS CENTER
Opened on Jan. 8, 2010, the Gallogly Events Center serves as the home for Mountain Lion basketball and volleyball. The arena seats 1,250 and features layout somewhat similar to Lockridge Arena with courtside seating rising to a concourse level. The facility was named after Tommy Gallogly who earned his degree from UCCS in 1970 and another degree in 1973. It is the first building on campus to be named after a UCCS alum.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
UCCS was projected to make the 2018 RMAC Tournament field as the Mountain Lions were voted sixth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. A 2-6 start does not bode well for Mines' 470/I25 rival as UCCS enters RMAC action on a three-match skid. Outside hitter Alyssa Brinton is the Mountain Lions lone Preseason All-RMAC representative. Through eight matches, UCCS is hitting .200 with 448 kills on over 1,200 attempts with 41.0 total blocks.
 
RMAC RUNDOWN
Mines was the only RMAC team to go undefeated on opening weekend. Thanks to that performance and a 2-2 outing at the UIndy Invitational last weekend, the Orediggers enter league play with an RMAC-best 6-2 record. Dixie State currently sits second at 5-2 despite finishing second in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Colorado Mesa sits 5-3 with Regis and MSU Denver rounding out the teams at .500 or better on the eve of conference action.
 
REDEMPTION AT REGIS
The Orediggers' 2017 season was ended by Regis in four sets in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Mines took its lone game in a 26-24 decision before falling the fourth. Lindsey and Janice Jin led the Orediggers with 24 combined kills and return to the team in 2018 looking for redemption after going 0-3 against the Rangers last season despite an all-time record of 15-6 versus Regis in the Magalei-Heather Roberts era.
 
SISTER, SISTER
The Orediggers' 2018 roster features two sets of sisters. Senior Janice Jin (OPP) and sophomore Lindsey Jin (OH) along with junior Delaney Duis (S) and freshman Elle Duis (L). Last weekend at the UIndy Invitational, both sets of sisters were in the rotation simultaneously in Mines' opening match against Harding. With all four sisters playing different positions, this rare occurrence may become more common as the season progresses.
 
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Mines' setter Drew Stokes is arguably the best freshman setter in all of NCAA Division II. She is #2 among all freshman and #14 overall with 335 total assists. Stokes' 10.81 assists per set rank #5 among freshman and #31 overall. The Illinois native also provides a triple threat with 22 kills, 10 total blocks and 59 digs.
 
DAILY DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Three Orediggers have combined for six double-doubles in 2018. Stokes leads the way with three straight as Mines heads into RMAC play. Fellow freshman Amanda Donais has recorded two double-doubles with Abby Tiesman adding the sixth. Tiesman nearly made it seven for the Orediggers with her 18-kill, eight-block performance against Sioux Falls Aug. 25. Stokes has the most recent double-double performance with her 47 assists and 10 digs against UIndy Sept. 1.
 
FRESH FACES? BUSINESS AS USUAL
After advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2017, Mines turned over eight and brought in nine freshman on a 15-person roster. Despite their youth, the Orediggers are off to a similar start in 2018. The team's six wins in 2018 matches its 6-2 record to start 2017. Through eight matches Mines has produced nearly identical numbers in total kills, assists and blocks while upping their defensive performance with 108 more digs.
 
SERVING IT UP
The Orediggers' service game has seen significant improvement from last season as they have produced 10 more service aces through the same number of matches. Mines has gone from 1.07 aces per set in 2017 to 1.29 aces per set in 2018. Leading the way is true freshman Amanda Donais with 13 service aces on the season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines continues RMAC action on the road Sept. 11 as they face UCCS at 7 p.m. in Colorado Springs. Live stats and video will be available at MinesAthletics.com.