GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines Volleyball Head Coach Jamie Magalei introduced two more new Orediggers on Monday afternoon as part of her 2020-21 signing class.
The duo of Emily Knight and Hope Storm brings Magalei’s class for the fall of 2021 to a total of five signees with four true freshmen and one transfer. The addition of Knight bolsters a strong group of middle blockers for Mines while Storm arrives as a setter with experience on the right side as well. Knight comes to the Orediggers from Minnesota by way of Iowa Western Community College, while Storm makes the journey north from Colorado Springs.
Below is a snapshot of the incoming class with full details on the latest signees.
| Emily Knight | 6-0 | MB | Brooten, Minn. / Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa HS |
| Ella Martin | 5-10 | OH | Leawood, Kan. / Bishop Miege HS |
| Lily Plaugher | 5-11 | OH | Cincinnati, Ohio / Ursuline Academy |
| Emma Smithey | 6-1 | RS | Waxahachie, Texas / Waxahachie HS |
| Hope Storm | 5-10 | S | Colorado Springs, Colo. / The Classical Academy |
Emily Knight – 6-0 – Middle Blocker
Brooten, Minn. – Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa HS (Iowa Western CC/Ridgewater)
IOWA WESTERN CC (2020-21): Played her second year of collegiate volleyball for Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa … Hit .300 in the middle while helping the Reivers win the 2020-21 NJCAA Division I National Championship … Knocked down 65 kills in 16 matches and 40 sets of action … Tallied 21 total blocks including six solo and 15 assisted … Top performance of the year featured 10 kills on 13 attempts with zero errors which led to a .769 hitting percentage in a sweep of North Iowa Area CC on Feb. 7.
RIDGEWATER COLLEGE (2019-20): Started her collegiate career in NJCAA Division III at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn. … Started all 23 matches for the Warriors and appeared in 77 out of 78 possible sets … Served as the starting setter with time at middle blocker touting 604 assists, 134 digs, 99 kills, 40 total blocks and 40 service aces while hitting .285 … Notched four double-doubles and nearly had a triple-double thanks to 14 assists, 14 digs and seven kills against Riverland on Oct. 23 … Best performance of the year included 40 kills, seven service aces, six digs, five kills and one block in a four-set win over Mesabi Range on Aug. 23 … Collegiate volleyball debut came on Aug. 23 at Central Lakes where she produced eight digs, six assists, one kill, one ace and one solo block.
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Three-sport athlete at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa High School (BBEHS) in Belgrade, Minn., competing in volleyball, basketball and track & field … Earned five total varsity letters and helped her team to the Minnesota Class A Final Four in 2018 … Named All-Area Second Team and Honorable Mention Central Minnesota Conference … Racked up 234 kills and 111 blocks … Closed her high school career ranked fourth all-time in total blocks … Played at the post for the basketball team and high jumped for the track & field team … Claimed All-Area Academic and All-State Academic while graduating with honors … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.
COACH’S COMMENT: “Emily is coming in with college experience. That is very beneficial, especially at the middle position. She is very competitive at I love having that in the middle. We are excited to teach her our offensive and defensive systems.”
Hope Storm – 5-10 – Setter
Colorado Springs, Colo. – The Classical Academy – Coalition Volleyball
HIGH SCHOOL/CLUB: Earned four varsity letters playing volleyball at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs … Appeared at both setter and right-side hitter, racking up 1,049 assists, 523 kills, 784 digs and 165 service aces in her prep career … Led the league in aces in 2017 … Named Second-Team All-League in 2018 … Claimed First-Team All-League honors in 2019 … Also played club ball for Coalition Volleyball … Member of the National Honor Society from 2019-221 … Earned 2019 First-Team Academic All-State distinction … Plans to major in mechanical engineering at Mines.
COACH’S COMMENT: “Hope is going to be a wonderful addition to our team. She is eager to learn and is always pushing herself. In the setter position, she will add a nice balance to our group. Hope is coachable, and I am looking forward to training with her.”