DENVER – The MSU Denver volleyball team, ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II, plays two home matches this weekend, while the Roadrunners' women's soccer team wraps up a two-game weekend Sunday on the road at No. 1 Colorado School of Mines, headlining the Roadrunners' athletics schedule.
VOLLEYBALL
Black Hills State at No. 2 MSU Denver, Friday, 6 p.m.
South Dakota Mines at No. 2 MSU Denver, Saturday, 4 p.m.
The MSU Denver volleyball team, ranked No. 2 since Sept. 16, plays Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference home matches Friday at 6 p.m. against Black Hills State and Saturday at 4 p.m. against South Dakota Mines.
MSU Denver (14-1 overall and 5-0 and first in the RMAC) has won eight straight matches.
The Roadrunners rank second nationally in hitting percentage (.312) and fifth in blocks per set (2.8) and are also 11
th in assists per set (13.4). The Roadrunners are balanced across their rotations with multiple players ranking among the RMAC's top 10 in multiple categories.
Black Hills State is 4-12 and 0-6, while South Dakota Mines – semifinalists at last year's RMAC Tournament – is 9-6 and 4-1 for fourth place in the league.
The Roadrunners are 19-0 all-time against Black Hills State, and haven't dropped a set against the Yellow Jackets since 2016 – a span of 32 sets. Overall in the series, MSU Denver has won 57 of 61 sets played.
MSU Denver is 11-1 all-time against South Dakota Mines and hasn't dropped a set in five matches against the Hardrockers since a shocking 2019 road upset. The Roadrunners are 37-4 in sets played in that series.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
RV MSU Denver at New Mexico Highlands, Friday, 2 p.m.
RV MSU Denver at No. 1 Colorado School of Mines, Sunday, 1 p.m.
MSU Denver came up just short Sunday in a 2-1 loss to Colorado Mesa, but is still 6-2-4 overall and 5-1 in the RMAC, tied for second with 15 points. The Roadrunners are five points clear of fourth place.
The Roadrunners travel to New Mexico Highlands (2-8-2, 0-5-1) for a 2 p.m. game Friday before playing at crosstown rival and national No. 1 Colorado School of Mines (11-0-1, 5-0-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Roadrunners continue receiving votes in the national top 25 poll and might have jumped into the ratings with a win over Colorado Mesa, which itself into the ratings at No. 22 following its win over MSU Denver.
MSU Denver is seventh nationally in shutout percentage at .750, with clean sheets in nine of its 12 games, and ranks 10
th with an .897 save percentage.
Kylie Bach continues to lead all Division II goalkeepers in shutouts, with nine.
The Roadrunners lead the all-time series against New Mexico Highlands 34-5-2, including five straight wins.
Colorado School of Mines has a 19-7-8 edge in the series with the Roadrunners, and has a 15-game unbeaten streak against MSU Denver that dates back to 2013. Mines is 11-0-4 in the last 15, including 11-0-1 in the last 12.
MEN'S SOCCER
MSU Denver at South Dakota Mines, Thursday, 3 p.m.
MSU Denver at Regis, Sunday, 1 p.m.
The MSU Denver men's soccer team opens the Roadrunners' athletics weekend with a 3 p.m. game Thursday at South Dakota Mines and wraps it up with a 1 p.m. game Sunday at first-place Regis.
MSU Denver is 4-5-3 overall and 1-1-2 in the RMAC, putting them tied for fourth in the league table with five points.
The Roadrunners' overall record is deceiving, considering they are 0-4-1 against teams that are, or have been, ranked in the national top 10 this season. They are 4-1-2 in all other games.
MSU Denver, coming off its first win over Colorado Mesa since 2015, has the league's reigning goalkeeper of the week in
Nick McNeil, who has posted three consecutive shutouts.
The Roadrunners are 15-1 all-time against South Dakota Mines (1-8-2, but 1-1-2 and tied for fourth in the RMAC with MSU Denver), including 12 straight wins dating to 2016.
MSU Denver has a 34-33-10 mark against crosstown rival Regis (5-2-5, 4-0), including 5-1-1 since the second meeting of the teams during the 2018 season.
