GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team relied heavily on its defense Friday evening to earn a 3-0 sweep over Colorado Christian in the 2019 RMAC opener inside Lockridge Arena.
 
The Orediggers' 13-block effort was spearheaded by none other than Drew Stokes who contributed a team-high nine block assists. Abby Tiesman was not far behind with one solo block and seven block assists for a total of eight stops on the night. Taylor Hicken also added five block assists while Amanda Donais chipped in two of her own. In the back row it was Elle Duis leading Mines, grinding out nine digs while adding two service aces. April Jergensen and Donais racked up eight digs apiece as well. On offense, Tiesman knocked down 10 kills and added two service aces while hitting .391. Megan Neil added nine kills to the total. Stokes finished the match with 27 assists.
 
Mines' defensive production led to Colorado Christian (4-5, 0-1 RMAC) hitting just .086 on the attack. The Orediggers (8-1, 1-0 RMAC) also produced more digs by a margin of 42-38 and only hit into five total Cougar blocks. In fact, Mines out performed CCU in every statistical category. The victory extends the Orediggers' winning streak to five straight matches and keeps Mines atop the conference standings.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening set was a back-and-forth affair that featured 12 ties and three lead changes. Mines held the biggest lead of the game at 10-5 thanks to a kill from Neil, but CCU would rally back to take a 14-13 lead. Both teams exchanged points down the stretch, but a kill from Tiesman made it 24-22 and a kill from Neil clinched the 25-23 win and a 1-0 lead. Neil, Tiesman and Taylor Hicken all produced four kills apiece in the win.
 
Game two looked to be another battle in the early going with the Cougars jumping out to a 3-0 lead only to see Mines go up 8-5. Then, with the score tied 8-8, the Orediggers' defense started to heat up. Hicken and Stokes teamed up on a block to give Mines the 10-9 lead. A few points later, the home team went on a 5-1 run followed by a 5-0 run to make it 21-13. That stretch featured four blocks by the Orediggers who finished the second set with eight total blocks in a 25-17 win, taking a commanding 2-0 lead into intermission. The eight total blocks resulted in the Cougars hitting -.030 in the set.
 
In the final set of the night, CCU managed to lead only once and tie the score just twice. Despite hitting just .229 in the third, Mines cruised to a 25-19 win behind three more blocks and 17 digs. Tiesman led the attack once again with four more kills. Elle Duis held down the back row with four digs and CCU hit just .028 as the Orediggers clinched the sweep.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is now 14-3 in the series against Colorado Christian dating back to 2012.
- Friday marked the Orediggers' first sweep of CCU since Nov. 14, 2015 – nearly four years ago.
- Stokes' nine blocks are the second most in a single match (any sets) since 2010. The last Oredigger with nine blocks in one match was Tiesman against Fort Lewis in 2018.
- As a team, Mines' 13 blocks are tied for 10th most in a match dating back to 2010. The last big blocks outing by the Orediggers was 15 last season at Colorado Christian.
- Tiesman's 10 kills against the Cougars gives the senior double-digit kills in six straight matches this season.
- Colorado Christian's hitting percentage of .086 is the second lowest by a Mines opponent this season after the Orediggers held Minot State to just .025 on the attack.
- Mines is now 99-11 in RMAC play dating back to 2012.
- Head coach Jamie Magalei is 264-88 in 12 seasons at Mines.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers host #18-ranked Regis Saturday night at 5 p.m. inside Lockridge Arena. Live stats and video of the match will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics. Fans can also follow Mines Volleyball on Twitter using the handle @MinesVolleyball.