10/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 20, 1999
Fri., Oct. 22 UNLV at New Mexico 7:00 p.m. MT
Match at University Arena, Albuquerque, N.M. (18,018 cap.)
Sat., Oct. 23 UNLV at Air Force 7:00 p.m. MT
Match at East Gym, Colorado Springs, Colo. (1,000 capacity)
The UNLV volleyball team will travel to New Mexico and Air Force this weekend for antoher Mountain West Conference trip. The Rebels, who are coming off their biggest win of the season vs. then-No. 14 Colorado State, (which was also their first MWC victory of the season and CSU's first overall loss of the year) will first face New Mexico on Friday, Oct. 22, at 7:00 p.m. MT. The match will be held at University Arena (18,018) in Albuquerque, N.M. On Satuday, Oct. 23, UNLV will battle Air Force at East Gym (1,000) in Colorado Springs, Colo., at 7:00 p.m. MT
THE OPPONENTS
New Mexico (5-17, 0-5 MWC) is currently on an eight-match losing streak and has lost 17 of its last 19 matches...UNM is coached by Laurel Brassey Iversen who is in her 15th year with a record of 249-183...The Lobos are led in kills by Amber Smith (3.53 pg), digs by Michela Conley (2.23 pg) and assists by Janelle Torres (8.30 pg).
Air Force (14-5, 2-3 MWC) has won three of its last four matches...AFA is coached by Penny Lucas-White who is in her fourth year at Air Force with a record of 32-73 and is in her ninth year overall with a career record of 127-152...The Falcons are led in kills by Brooke Effland (3.86 pg), in digs by Tracy Wilkerson (3.79 pg) and assists by Tharommony In (12.08 pg).
THE REBELS
UNLV (9-7, 1-4 MWC) started off the year with a best-ever record of 7-0, then dropped seven of its next eight matches...The Rebels are coming off of their biggest win of the season over then-No. 14 Colordao State, who was previously unbeaten on the season...UNLV returns eight players and five starters from last year's squad that finished the season with an overall record of 23-8...The Rebels finished tied for second in the Western Athletic Conference's Mountain Division with a mark of 11-3 and lost in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament to then-No. 6 BYU...Head Coach Deitre Collins is in her fourth season and has a career record of 46-55. The Rebels are led in kills by Angie Sylvas with 3.54 per game, digs by Justine Kamelamela with 2.64 pg and assists by both Julia Goes and Robyn Shea with 11.64 pg.
NEW FACES
The Rebels welcome the addition of six newcomers in Shannon Chase, a 5-9 freshman outside hitter/defensive specialist from Las Vegas, Nev., who transferred to UNLV from Colorado State (but didn't play intercollegiate volleyball there), Alicia Erickson, a 6-4 sophomore middle blocker from Las Vegas, Nev., who transferred from Washington State, Oge Fitz, a 5-10 sophomore outside hitter from San Jose, Calif., who transferred from Cal State Fullerton, Maria Julia Goes, a 5-9 sophomore setter from Sorocaba, Brazil, who transferred from National American University, Leiana Oswald, a 6-0 freshman middle blocker from Burnaby, B.C., and Robyn Shea a 5-10 junior setter from Salt Lake City, Utah, who transferred from Weber State.
NOV. 6 MATCH MOVED
Please note: UNLV's match scheduled for Nov. 6 vs. BYU has been moved from the Lied Gymnasium to the Thomas & Mack Center...Match start time will remain at 7:00 p.m.
PROBABLE REBEL STARTERS
| No. | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Yr.-Exp. | Hometown/Last School | 1999 UNLV Statistics |
| 14 | Christel Eves | MB | 5-10 | Sr.-3V | Henderson, Nev./Basic HS | 1.75 kpg, 0.93 bpg |
| 7 | Danielle Gerlach | OH | 6-0 | Sr.-3V | Edwards, Calif./Desert HS | 2.25 kpg, 1.53 dpg |
| 6 | Jeanette Graves | OH | 6-1 | Sr.-1V | West Jordan, Utah/Salt Lake City CC | 2.70 kpg, 1.09 dpg |
| 4 | Justine Kamelamela | OH | 6-0 | Jr.-2V | Aiea, Hawai'i/Maryknoll HS | 2.91 kpg, 2.64 dpg |
| 17 | Ana Ramos | DS | 5-4 | Jr.-2V | Honolulu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha HS | 0.24 sapg, 1.27 dpg |
| 15 | Angie Sylvas | OH | 5-11 | Sr.-1V | Las Vegas, Nev./San Jose State | 3.54 kpg, 2.46 dpg |
REBEL RETURNERS
The Rebels return eight players from last year's squad. Included in those eight are five seniors. The Rebels return two all-conference players in second team All-WAC selections Angie Sylvas and Justine Kamelamela. Sylvas, a 5-11 senior outside hitter, was also selected to the All-WAC Tournament Team last season. She led the team in kills per game and digs per game last season. Kamelamela, a 6-0 junior outside hitter, was second on the team in kills per game and third in digs per game. Also returning are Christel Eves, a 5-10 senior middle blocker, Danielle Gerlach, a 6-0 senior outside hitter, Amber Graham, a 5-11 sophomore middle blocker, Jeanette Graves, a 6-1 senior outside hitter, Ana Ramos, a 5-4 junior defensive specialist, and Kendra Wilkinson, a 5-4 senior defensive specialist.
LAST WEEK
Last week, UNLV split a pair of conference home games. UNLV lost in straight sets to Wyoming 13-15, 8-15, 7-15. The Rebels bounced back and recorded their biggest win of the year against then-No. 14 Colorado State 15-7, 15-13, 4-15, 16-14. The win marked the first all year against Colorado State, who came in 17-0, and was UNLV's first conference victory of the season.
NEXT WEEK
UNLV will remain on the road next week as it travels to San Diego, Calif., to meet San Diego State on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m. It will be UNLV's only match of the week.
SERIES HISTORY
New Mexico leads the all-time series with UNLV 2-1. UNM won the last meeting 3-1 in Las Vegas on Nov. 15, 1997. UNLV leads the all-time series with Air Force 5-1. UNLV won the last meeting 3-1 in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Oct. 30, 1998.
UNLV CHOSEN TO FINISH FOURTH IN MWC BY COACHES
The 1999 Mountain West Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll predicted UNLV will finish fourth out of eight teams in the conference following the 1999 campaign. The following is the order that the MWC coaches predicted the conference will end up this season: Brigham Young, Colorado State, Utah, UNLV, Wyoming, New Mexico, San Diego State and Air Force.
UNLV RECEIVES VOTES IN PRESEASON POLL FOR FIRST TIME
For the first time in program history, the UNLV volleyball team opened a season after being mentioned in the USA Today/AVCA preseason national poll. UNLV received votes three separate weeks in 1998, but has never received prior mention in a preseason national poll. This year, the Rebels received one vote in the preseason poll. Topping the preseason poll was Penn State, followed closely by Stanford, Nebraska, Hawai'i and 1998 NCAA champion Long Beach State.
REBEL REWARDS
UNLV won the title of the Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic with a 3-0 mark. Senior Angie Sylvas was named MVP of the tournament, while senior Christel Eves and junior Robyn Shea were both named to the all-tournament team....UNLV was declared runner-up at the Maryland Tournament based on total games, even though both UNLV and Colorado State went 3-0 at the event. Junior Justine Kamelamela and sophomore Amber Graham were named to the all-tournament team...The Rebels took second place at the UNLV Invitational falling in the championship match to No. 19 USC in three games...Senior Jeanette Graves and sophomore Amber Graham were selected to the all-tournament team.
REBELS STARTED SEASON WITH BEST-EVER MARK
UNLV started the season with seven straight wins before dropping their first match of the year to No. 19 USC. The 7-0 record was UNLV's best start in program history. UNLV's previous best start was in 1979 and 1998, when the team started 5-0 both seasons.
EVES TIES REBEL MARK AT MARYLAND
Senior Christel Eves recorded 8 service aces against Maryland, which tied the Rebel record for most service aces in a match. In 1984, Debbie Brooks had 8 vs. UC San Diego.
REBEL DOUBLE-DOUBLES
So far this season, five Rebels have recorded a double-double in a match. Angie Sylvas has five (21 kills, 17 digs vs. Louisville, 15 kills, 11 digs at Maryland, 18 kills, 12 digs vs. USC, 23 kills, 14 digs at UNR, 11 kills, 11 digs vs. Wyoming), Justine Kamelamela has four (16 kills, 13 digs vs. Louisville, 12 kills, 10 digs vs. Rutgers, 16 kills, 16 digs at Maryland, 11 kills, 19 digs vs. SDSU), Julia Goes has three (42 assists, 10 digs vs. Rutgers, 78 assists, 10 digs vs. UNR, 48 assists, 10 digs vs. SDSU), Jeanette Graves has one (12 kills, 11 digs vs. USC) and Christel Eves has one (10 kills, 15 digs vs. UNR).
REBEL 20-KILL CLUB
UNLV has had only one player break the 20 kill or dig barrier in a match this season...Angie Sylvas has done it twice with 23 kills at UNR and 21 kills vs. Louisville.
COLLINS BECOMES REBEL VB'S ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH
With UNLV's win over Southern Illinois, head coach Deitre Collins became the program's all-time winningest coach. The win over SIU was her 40th with the program and it surpassed Karen Lamb, who compiled 39 wins from 1987-85. Collins currently has 45.
UNLV DOMINATES AT HOME
UNLV has now won 18 of its last 21 home matches at Lied Gymnasium. The Rebels won 15 straight at home dating back to the 1998 season before losing to USC. The Rebels were 13-1 at home during the 1998 season.
REBELS RANK IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Here is how the Rebels rank in the conference stats...3rd in service aces (1.79), 5th in hitting percentage (.196), assists (12.79), blocks (2.37) and kills (14.21), 6th in digs (12.44) and 7th in match won-lost percentage (.562)...Individually, UNLV has a player ranked in the MWC in each statistical category except blocks...Julia Goes is 6th in assists (10.64), Justine Kamelamela is 6th in digs (2.64), Christel Eves is 7th in service aces (0.38), Amber Graham is 8th in hitting percentage (.287) and Angie Sylvas is 9th in kills (3.54).
CAREER HIGHS SET THIS YEAR
Justine Kamelamela had a career-high 19 digs vs. SDSU and had 37 assists vs. Colorado State...Christel Eves tied her career high of 15 digs vs. Louisville and at UNR...Eves tied both her career high of 9 block assists and 9 total blocks vs. New Orleans...Eves also recorded a career-high 8 service aces at Maryland as she tied the Rebel record for most service aces in a match...Amber Graham recorded a career-high7 digs vs. Louisville...Graham also tied her career high of 7 total blocks vs. Louisville and set a new career high of 3 block solos...Graham tied her career-high of 19 kills at UNR as well as tied her career-high in block assists and total blocks with 7 at UNR...Angie Sylvas recorded a career-high 6 service aces vs. Maryland...Jeanette Graves turned in a career high 4 assists vs. USC...Danielle Gerlach had a career-high 16 kills and 45 attempts at UNR...Kendra Wilkinson had a career-high 14 digs vs. SDSU along with a career-high-tying 3 service aces...Alicia Erickson had 11 kills at UNR and 10 block assists vs. SDSU...Julia Goes had 78 assists at UNR, which was two shy of the Rebel single-match assist record...Goes has recorded 10 kills three times.
OTHER REBEL NOTES
UNLV had 17 service aces in its match at Maryland...That figure is only two off the UNLV record of 19 set at California in 1984...UNLV's next highest service ace total in a match this season is 10...Kendra Wilkinson recorded her first career kill at UNR...Wilkinson is a senior...The Rebels had five players record double figures in kills at UNR...UNLV had a season-high hitting percentage vs. New Orleans of .391...The Rebels have also recorded the following season-high totals for a match: 86 kills at UNR, 203 attacks at UNR, 81 assists at UNR, 82 digs vs. Louisville, 16.5 total blocks at UNR...Jeanette Graves and Amber Graham both hit .643 against New Orleans (10 kills, 1 error, 14 attacks)...UNLV defeated then-No. 14 Colorado State for its first victory against a ranked team in four tries this season.
HEAD COACH DEITRE COLLINS
Head coach Deitre Collins is now in her fourth year at UNLV. Collins, who is a former member of the U.S. National Team and a three-time NCAA All-American middle blocker at Hawai'i, led UNLV to a 23-8 record in 1998. The team advanced to the semifinals of the WAC Tournament and recorded its best-ever win percentage for a season. For her efforts, Collins was honored with the 1998 WAC Mountain Division Co-Coach of the Year award. Before being named head coach of the 15th intercollegiate athletics program at UNLV on July 10, 1995, she served as an assistant at the University of South Alabama for one season (1994). Prior to that, she was an assistant at Houston (1993) and Northern Arizona (1993-94). Collins, who is the fourth coach in the history of Rebel volleyball, graduated from Hawai'i in 1995 with a bachelor of arts degree in broadcast communications. She was the first-ever volleyball player to be named the Broderick Cup recipient, earning the award as the best female collegiate athlete in 1983. Last season, Long Beach State's Misty May became the second. Collins also is a two-time Broderick Award honoree, being named the best collegiate volleyball player for the seasons of 1982 and 1983. Those same years, she led the Rainbow Wahine to consecutive NCAA championships as well as a record of 110-5 in her final three seasons. She is UNLV volleyball's all-time winningest coach by wins and her career head coaching record is 46-55.
ASSISTANT COACH KEVIN HAMBLY
Kevin Hambly (BYU, '98) is in his third year as assistant coach at UNLV. He is a former Brigham Young standout volleyball player, playing for the Cougars from 1992-95. The starting middle blocker from 1993-95, Hambly was a first-team All-American in 1995. He was the head coach of Highline, a men's club team in Northridge, Calif., prior to joining the Rebel coaching staff.
ASSISTANT COACH CARRIE PENFIELD-HALVORSEN
Carrie Penfield-Halvorsen (Arizona '98) is in her first season as assistant coach at UNLV. Penfield-Havorsen came to UNLV from the U.S. National Team where she played from January to April, 1998. At Arizona, she was All-Pac-10 her senior season.
DIR. OF VOLLEYBALL KEE WILLIAMS
Kee Williams (Hawai'i '95) is in her second year with UNLV. Williams came to UNLV from the U.S. National Team where she was training before suffering a career-ending injury. A star at Hawai'i from 1990-94, she was a first-team All-American selection and a three-time All-Big West Conference honoree.
LAST YEAR
In only its third season back on campus after an 11-year hiatus, the 1998 UNLV volleyball team finished the season 23-8 and recorded its best winning percentage for a season in program history. The team finished second in the WAC's Mountain Division with an 11-3 mark. The team, which qualified for its second WAC Tournament, recorded its first-ever postseason win over Utah and advanced to the semifinals falling to No. 6 Brigham Young. Head Coach Deitre Collins was named the WAC's Mountain Division Co-Coach of the Year. The team eclipsed its win total of the year before of nine in only its 13th match of the season and set the record for most consecutive wins with 10 at one point during the year. UNLV was dominant at home, going 13-1 at the Lied Gymnasium.
LAST YEAR'S INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
UNLV had three players named to the All-WAC team in 1998. Meri-de Boyer, who has graduated, was UNLV's first-ever first team All-WAC member, while Angie Sylvas and Justine Kamelamela were both selected to the second team. Sylvas was also named to the All-WAC Tournament Team, which made her the first Rebel ever to be named to that team. Christel Eves, Boyer and Kamelamela were all named WAC Player of the Week at one point during the season. Kamelamela was named to the all-tournament team of the Carolina Classic, the Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic and the Nanook Classic. Eves was on the all-tournament team at the Carolina Classic. Sylvas was named MVP of the Nanook Classic, while Boyer was named all-tournament at the Nanook Classic.
1999 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
The inaugural Mountain West Conference Volleyball Tournament will be held November 24-27 at Smith Fieldhouse on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. All eight conference teams will compete in the single elimination tournament. Tickets are available through the BYU ticket office at (800) 322-2981 and media credentials will be handled by the Mountain West Conference's Elaine Adams (719) 533-9510.
STANDINGS
As of Tues., Oct. 19...
MWC Matches/All Matches
| W | L | Pct. | W | L | Pct. | |
| BYU | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 13 | 2 | .867 |
| Colorado St. | 4 | 1 | .800 | 17 | 1 | .944 |
| Utah | 4 | 1 | .800 | 13 | 5 | .722 |
| Air Force | 2 | 3 | .400 | 14 | 5 | .737 |
| San Diego St. | 2 | 3 | .400 | 8 | 10 | .444 |
| Wyoming | 2 | 3 | .400 | 8 | 11 | .421 |
| UNLV | 1 | 4 | .200 | 9 | 7 | .563 |
| New Mexico | 0 | 5 | .000 | 5 | 17 | .227 |
UNLV TICKET PRICES
Admission for UNLV volleyball matches is $4.00 for adults, $2.00 for students, faculty, staff and Senior Rebel Club members. UNLV students and Junior Rebel Club members will be admitted free of charge. Groups of up to 20 people are $15 and groups over 20 people are $1 per person. Season tickets may be purchased for $35 and a year-long Olympic Sports Pass for $75. For more ticket information, please call (702) 895-UNLV.
UNLV'S RECORD WHEN IT:
wins the first game.. 8-2
wins the second game.. 6-0
wins the third game.. 8-0
wins the fourth game.. 3-1
plays a three-game match.. 5-5
plays a four-game match.. 2-1
plays a five-game match.. 2-1
has more kills than opp.. 8-3
has fewer kills than opp.. 1-4
has equal kills as opp.. 0-0
has higher hitting % than opp.. 8-1
has lower hitting % than opp.. 1-6
has equal hitting % as opp.. 0-0
has more team blocks than opp.. 6-3
has fewer team blocks than opp.. 2-3
has equal team blocks as opp.. 1-1
has more digs than opp.. 6-1
has fewer digs than opp.. 2-5
has equal digs as opp.. 1-1
has more assists than opp.. 8-3
has fewer assists than opp.. 1-4
has equal assists as opponent.. 0-0
has more service aces than opp.. 7-1
has fewer service aces than opp.. 1-6
has equal service aces as opp.. 1-0
