CHADRON, Neb. -- October 20, 2018 -- Chadron State College volleyball had a highlight reel type of afternoon on Saturday at the Chicoine Center, but the team still came up on the wrong end of a 3-0 decision despite a .295 hitting percentage which was its second-best of the season. Colorado School of Mines, which was the top vote-getting team outside the top-25 in the most recent NCAA Division II coaches' poll, moved to 20-3 overall and 14-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Eagles fell to 7-16 (5-9 RMAC).
 
"I'm proud again of how the girls competed," said CSC Head Volleyball Coach Riann Mullis. "We won some of the things we'd been battling, as far as consistency in energy, and consistency in competitiveness. Mines just played a really clean match. If we had matched this performance last night, against UCCS, I think things would have gone differently."
 
Eagles all over the court put up big numbers in the loss.
 
Brooke Gardner and Chandler Hageman each had double-digit kills combining for 23 kills and together hitting .500. Hageman added two blocks.
 
Senior setter Madison Webb, playing her final match at the Chicoine Center, was solid with 36 assists, four digs, one ace and one kill.
 
Libero Ashton Burditt provided some of the most intense play in the back row, collecting 18 digs to boost her season average to a conference-best 5.73 per set, and the entire front row helped with improved net play.
 
It was Mines' 12 service aces that made much of the difference in the match. The Orediggers also recorded a .380 hitting percentage as a team.
 
CSM made a case to return the national top-25 after defeating MSU Denver 3-1 on Friday. The Orediggers never trailed in either of the first two sets on Saturday, either, winning both by a score of 25-18.
 
Chadron State made a run at taking the third set, after the intermission. The Eagles opened up a seven-point lead with an 11-4 run to start, and went stride for stride with the team atop the conference standings until Mines' first lead came at match point, 24-23. The visitors were able to win six of the final eight points to seal the match with a 25-23 final set victory.
 
The Orediggers were led by junior middle Abby Tiesman with a match-high 17.5 total points, including 14 kills, three aces, and one block assist.
 
Immediately following the game, CSC was in a four-way tie for ninth place in the RMAC, with some results still pending. Fort Lewis is in eighth regardless of Saturday's outcomes.
 
The Eagles have four matches remaining. They travel to South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State, both of which they defeated at home next weekend. Their regular season concludes with two matches, on back-to-back evenings at Metropolitan State University of Denver.