Sept. 4-6 – Lockridge Arena – Golden, Colo. – Tournament Central
Mines (0-0) vs. South Dakota Mines (0-0) – Thursday, 5 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (0-0) vs. Davenport (0-0) – Friday, 2 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (0-0) vs. Valdosta State (0-0) – Friday, 6 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (0-0) vs. #14 Grand Valley State (0-0) – Saturday, 4 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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THE VERY FIRST
This Thursday, the Colorado School of Mines Volleyball team will play the first competition of the 2025-26 academic year for all of Mines Athletics. The Orediggers will premier with a non-conference showdown against RMAC foe South Dakota Mines at 5 p.m. inside Lockridge Arena. It marks the start of the 20th Oredigger Classic presented by Marriott Denver West. The following two days will features a total of seven teams playing 13 total matches on two courts inside Lockridge Arena.
 
RMAC NETWORK CHANGES
As was announced on June 30, beginning this fall the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Network is moving to a pay-per-view model for all events beginning with the 2025-26 season. RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours. 
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The video stream on the RMAC Network will include play-by-play commentary for Mines' matches from Kienan Dixon on Thursday and Friday with Miles Dunklin on the call on Saturday. Free live statistics will also be available for both courts.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print tickets at home ahead of the tournament by going to www.minesathletics.com/tickets. Adults are $10 for the entire day, children, seniors, and military are $5 for the day. Mines faculty, staff, and students receive complimentary admission and can obtain tickets by logging in at tickets.minesathletics.com with their Mines single sign-on. Additionally, children age 11 and under are free.
 
PARKING
Those planning to attend in person will need to pay for parking prior to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Parking is free after 5 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday. The two best options for parking are the Diamond Lot (Lot D at 1651 Elm Street), and the Parking Garage (1400 Maple Street). Fans can visit the Parking page for more information.
 
THE FORMAT
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mark the 20th installment of the Oredigger Volleyball Classic. Once again, the event is sponsored by Marriott Denver West. The 2025 edition features a total of seven teams including Mines. Action begins Thursday evening with a single, non-conference match between the Orediggers and South Dakota Mines inside Lockridge Arena. Friday brings double-barrel action with two courts rolling inside The Lock. Match times are 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. The 4 p.m. slot does not have a match on the second court. Saturday's rundown includes two simultaneous courts of action with contests at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. There will be no matches on the second court at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Matches may begin late, but will not run ahead for any reason.
 
GUEST LIST
Six additional teams will join the Orediggers at Lockridge Arena. Those programs include Colorado Christian, Davenport, Grand Valley State, South Dakota Mines, Valdosta State, and Washburn. Both Grand Valley State and Washburn appeared in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association's (AVCA)/TARFLEX Division II WVB Preseason Poll at #14 and #22, respectively. The Orediggers, along with CCU and SDM represent the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Davenport and GVSU both hail from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Valdosta State calls the Gulf South Conference (GSC) home. Washburn brings the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) into play.
 
MINES' SLATE
As mentioned above, the Orediggers start their annual invite with a non-conference match against RMAC foe South Dakota Mines on Thursday at 5 p.m. On Friday, the hosts face Davenport at 2 p.m. and Valdosta State at 6 p.m. Mines closes the weekend against #14 Grand Valley State on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
South Dakota Mines had a banner year in 2024, going 18-9 overall and 11-3 in conference play. The Hardrockers qualified for the RMAC tournament as the #3 seed. They lost at home to sixth-seeded Colorado Christian. Davenport was 10-19 (6-11 GLIAC) last season but still advanced to the league tournament before suffering a sweep at the hands of Grand Valley State. The Panthers should benefit from five sophomores who saw significant action as true freshmen combined with three seniors on the squad. Valdosta State was another conference-tournament qualifier in 2024. Overall, the Blazers were 19-12 (13-7 GSC). Their season end with a five-set heartbreaker against Lee in the GSC postseason. Grand Valley State presents Mines' biggest competition of the weekend – on paper. The Lakers were 28-4 (14-2 GLIAC), advanced to the conference tournament championship match where they lost to Ferris State before playing into the second round of the NCAA tournament.
 
TWO DECADES
In 2005, former Mines Head Volleyball Coach Shelly Johnson started the Oredigger Volleyball Classic. When current skipper Jamie Magalei took over in 2008, she made it Mines' season opener and it has stayed that way for 16 of the last 18 seasons. Overall, the hosts tout a record of 57-20 in the invitational with Coach Magalei going 51-14 during her time at the helm. The Orediggers have won a total of 185 sets compared to 80 losses. Magalei's set record is 161-69. Since 2014, Mines is 29-10 at the Oredigger Classic including 18 sweeps, eight four-setters, and three five-set classics. Most recently, in 2024, Magalei's Orediggers went 1-3 with a four-set win over Concord before suffering three straight losses to Missouri Western, Gannon, and Michigan Tech.
 
THE 2025 SCHEDULE
After the Oredigger Volleyball Classic, Mines will play four matches at the Northwest Nazarene Tournament in Nampa, Idaho. Opposition there includes Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene, Concordia Irvine, and Westmont. Conference action begins at home on Friday, Sept. 19, against #6 MSU Denver. The rest of Mines' home slate includes Adams State and New Mexico Highlands Sept. 26-27, Colorado Christian on Sept. 30, #6 MSU Denver again on Oct. 3, #23 Colorado Mesa and Westminster Oct. 24-25, and Black Hills State with South Dakota Mines Nov. 7-8.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Jamie Magalei enters her 18th season leading the Mines volleyball program in 2025. She is easily the program's all-time leader in total wins and win percentage at 363-139 (.723). Magalei surpassed 300 career wins in 2021. She's one of six to reach the milestone while coaching in the RMAC. Through 2024, Magalei has coached 31 all-America selections, three Academic All-Americans, and 66 all-conference performers. Her resume also includes three Regional Players of the Year, two Regional Freshmen of the Year, and 16 RMAC major award winners. Magalei has guided Mines to six RMAC regular-season championships, and five RMAC Tournament titles with 13 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 2009-22 (no NCAA tournament in 2020). The North Dakota native also guided the Orediggers to either a conference regular-season or tournament title every season from 2012-21 including a sweep of both in 2015.
 
OREDIGGER VETERANS
Mines has 13 individuals returning from the 2024 team. Those veterans include Brinleigh Davis, Morgan McChesney, Jada Price, Ava Swan, Kate Kudlac, Naomi Romslo, Olivia Murillo, Jenna McLaughlin, Layla Padgett, Presley Powell, Avery Perreira, Allison Jansen, and Eryn Hiraki. Defensively, the returners represent nearly 1,000 digs and over 200 blocks from the 2024 campaign. Most notable on offense are 75 total service aces (73%) returning from last year.
 
FRESH FACES
Coach Magalei brought in four true freshmen, two transfers and one wild card during the offseason. Hailee Martinez came to Mines after stops at Western Colorado, Midland (Nebraska), and Northern Colorado. Francesca Nuzzo was a midyear transfer who arrived in Golden in January following two seasons at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado. Tori Garrett, Abbie O'Shay, Cadence McDonald, and Adrienne Enriquez are the true freshman. Amanda Donais Dudley is the wild car. More on her below.
 
SHE'S BAAAAAACK
If the name Amanda Donais Dudley sounds familiar to Oredigger fans, it should. Donais Dudley played for Mines as Amanda Donais from 2018 through the fall of 2021. During her undergraduate career, the California native was named Second-Team All-RMAC three times, First-Team All-RMAC once, and earned AVCA Third-Team All-America in the fall of 2021. Her career numbers to date include 896 kills on .278 hitting, 702 digs, 173 total blocks, 92 assists, and 93 service aces. When she graduated with her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in the spring of 2022, she still had a year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After three years in the professional world – and a marriage to Mines track & field student-athlete Koby Dudley, Donais Dudley decided to return to Mines to pursue a master's degree in mechanical engineering while also using her final year of collegiate eligibility.
 
PRESEASON POLL
After going 9-17 (5-9 RMAC) and tying for 11th in the RMAC standings in 2024, the Orediggers picked to tie for ninth in the league in the 2025 edition of the preseason coaches' poll. Reigning champion MSU Denver was chosen to defend its title with Colorado Mesa and Colorado Christian rounding out the top three. Mines tied with Adams State and finished ahead of Fort Lewis, Western Colorado, Chadron State, New Mexico Highlands, and Black Hills State. The Orediggers did collect a second-place vote and a third-place vote.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers return to action next week, starting on Thursday at the Northwest Nazarene Tournament in Nampa, Idaho. Live coverage information and a full preview will be available next week at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on "X" (formerly Twitter) at @MinesVolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.