Orediggers Head North for Final Regular-Season Push
The Colorado School of Mines volleyball team faces its longest road trip of the conference slate this weekend, heading to the northernmost outposts of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. According to minesathletics.com, the 22nd-ranked Orediggers will match up against Black Hills State in Spearfish, South Dakota, on Friday before traveling to Rapid City to face South Dakota Mines on Saturday.
Coming off last week’s hosting duties at the RMAC Power Pod in Lockridge Arena, Mines enters the weekend sitting at 19-3 overall and 8-2 in conference play. Just a single victory over the next two days clinches a berth in the upcoming conference tournament.
Climbing the Regional Ranks
Monday marked the second release of the NCAA Power Index rankings for the 2026 volleyball season. Mines held steady at second in the South Central Region while climbing to #12 overall. The regional top eight features Angelo State at #1, followed by Dallas Baptist at #3, Colorado Mesa at #4, MSU Denver at #5, UT Tyler at #6, South Dakota Mines at #7, and St. Edward’s at #8. Conference tournament winners in the RMAC and Lone Star Conference earn automatic bids, with six additional spots filled through at-large selections based on the NPI. Rankings transition from weekly updates to daily publishing following the November 2 release.
The squad’s recent surge includes a program record of 12 consecutive straight-set victories, shattering the previous mark of seven set back in 2021. During this dominant stretch, opponents have hit just .115 while the Mines offense operates at a .300 clip. Middle blocker Jenna McLaughlin leads the defensive effort, earning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the fourth time this season after posting 13 blocks and 21 kills over the Power Pod weekend. Setter Kaiya Gilbert also picked up weekly conference honors for the sixth time this year, pacing the RMAC with 10.50 assists per set.
Scouting the Northern Rivals
Black Hills State hosts Friday’s matchup holding a 9-14 record overall and a 4-7 mark in conference play following a Tuesday loss to South Dakota Mines. Despite the record, the Yellow Jackets have pushed seven opponents to five sets this season. Historically, Mines holds an 18-1 advantage in the all-time series, with the lone defeat coming in the teams’ inaugural meeting in 1992.
Saturday afternoon brings a clash against South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. The Hardrockers stand at 18-5 overall and 8-3 in the RMAC after a four-set victory against Black Hills State. The program trails the all-time series 11-7 against the Orediggers and took last year’s meeting in five sets in Golden. The Orediggers have not secured a victory in Rapid City since 2022.
