SALT LAKE CITY - With a pair of non-conference tournaments in the rearview, Westminster volleyball (2-5) gets set to officially begin the 2021 RMAC season as it first welcomes 24th-ranked Colorado Mesa (5-2) into Behnken Field House on Friday night with first serve slated for 6 p.m. (MDT).  The Griffins will turnaround and face a second-consecutive ranked test as No. 11 Colorado School of Mines (7-1) pays Westminster a visit on Saturday at 4 p.m. (MDT).

Match Info:
- The Westminster Griffins Club will host a special one-hour tailgate at the Kim T. Adamson Alumni House prior to Friday's match vs. CMU.  Registration is free and the tailgate will begin at 5 p.m.
- Fans in attendance will be required to wear masks per university policy.
- All Westminster matches will be streamed live online and can be accessed via the RMAC Network.  Fans can download the RMAC Network app through all major digital app stores.
- Live stats will also be available on westminstergriffins.com.

About the Griffins:
- Westminster began the season with a 1-3 showing at the Patriot Tournament hosted by Dallas Baptist University.  The Griffins followed up an 0-2 first day with a 3-2 win over Eastern New Mexico.
- The Griffins split its two matches on day one of the SoCal Freeway Challenge last week, defeating Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-2, after a 3-2 loss to Point Loma.
- Westminster has faced three five-set matches already this season, going 1-2 in those contests.
- Lydia Parkinson (Miller) leads the team through seven matches with 70 kills (2.41 k/s) and a .207 attack percentage.
- Olvia Curtis is second on the team offensively, averaging 2.26 kills/set middle blockers, Malinda Messner, has a team-high 19 blocks to start the season.
- Katie Jacox (14.0) and Avery Alger (12.0) are also into double-digit blocks so far this season.
- Setter, Bri Mortensen, has amassed 235 assists (8.1 a/s) so far this season while the team's starting libero, Alanna Lee, is up to 97 digs (3.34 d/s) to begin the 2021 campaign.
- Westminster is 2-14 all-time against the Mavericks, dropping the past 11 matches against CMU.
- The Griffins are 0-6 all-time against Colorado School of Mines with a 15-6 fifth-set loss this past February.

About the Mavericks:
- Despite coming off of a 3-0 weekend, CMU (5-2) dropped two spots to No. 24 in the AVCA NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll this week.
- Maverick Head Coach, Dave Fleming, is the reigning RMAC Coach of the Year and recently became just the fifth coach in RMAC history to reach the 300 career wins mark.
- CMU will begin the week tonight with a 6 p.m. home match against MSU Denver.
- Freshman, Sydney Leffler, from Eaton, Colo., leads the Mavericks with 86 kills and is third in the conference at 3.44 kills/set.
- Junior, Tye Wedhorn, has a team-high 23 blocks and is second in the RMAC with 1.21 blk/set.

About the Orediggers:
- 11th-ranked Colorado School of Mines (7-1) hosts No. 33 Regis tonight before traveling to Salt Lake City for Saturday's matchup.
- The Orediggers enter the week after a 4-0 weekend at the UCCS Mountain Lion Classic.
- Colorado School of Mines defeated William Jewell, Lubbock Christian, and Texas A&M, each in straight sets to begin the Mountain Lion Classic.  The Orediggers finished the week with a 3-1 win over fourth-ranked Washburn.
- Colo. School of Mines has benefited from high offensive efficiency to begin the year and sit fourth in the nation in kills per set, fifth in hitting percentage, and eighth in assists per set.
- The Orediggers' undefeated week moved them from No. 15 to No. 11 in this week's AVCA NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll.

Up Next:
Westminster will host another weekend of home RMAC matches next week as it plays Adams State on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m., followed by a match against New Mexico Highlands on Friday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m.

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