Sept. 15, 1998
The UNLV volleyball team will begin its home schedule this week as it hosts the 1998 Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic. The classic will take place over two days with three matches being played each day. UNLV will face Youngstown State in the opening match on Friday, Sept. 11 at 2:00 p.m. New Mexico State vs. Southwest Texas State follows at 5:00 p.m. with UNLV wrapping up the days action with New Mexico State at 8:00 p.m.
The second day will start at 10:30 a.m. with Younstown State facing Southwest Texas State. That match will be followed by New Mexico State vs. Youngstown State at 1:30 p.m. followed by the classics final match at 4:30 p.m. between UNLV and Southwest Texas State. All matches will be played at UNLVs Lied Gymnasium (1,500) on campus.
THE OPPONENTS
Younstown State (1-4) comes to Las Vegas after having lost to Pittsburgh 3-0, William and Mary 3-1, Penn State 3-0 and Illinois-Chicago 3-1...The Penguins lone victory was a 3-1 affair vs. St. Francis...YSU is led by senior Amy Hermann who is averaging 2.24 kills and 2.47 digs per game...Head Coach Joe Conroy is in his seventh year with the Penguins and has a career record of 89-101.
New Mexico State (2-2) comes to Las Vegas after defeating Hofstra 3-0 and TCU 3-0, while losing to UTEP 3-1 and Santa Clara 3-0 last weekend...The Roadrunners are led by junior Anika Donaldson who is averaging 3.85 kills per game...Junior Kim Steen is leading the team in digs with 4.69 per game...Head Coach Michael Jordan is in his first year with the Roadrunners.
Southwest Texas State (3-1) comes to Las Vegas after losing to Houston 3-1, then defeating Virginia Tech 3-0, Louisiana Tech 3-2 and Southern Methodist 3-1 last weekend...The Bobcats are led by senior Makeda Smith and sophomore Shauna Stahl who are both averaging 3.63 kills per game...Stahl also leads the team in digs with 3.56 per game...Head Coach Karen Chisum is in her 19th year with Southwest Texas State and has a career record of 455-301-3.
THE REBELS
UNLV (3-0) captured the Nanook Classic title in Fairbanks, Alaska, last weekend by defeating Iowa State 3-0, Alaska Fairbanks 3-0 and Duke 3-2...UNLV is led by junior Angie Sylvas and sophomore Justine Kamelamela. Sylvas is averaging 4.45 kills and 4.27 digs per game, while Kamelamela is averaging 4.50 kills and 3.13 digs. The Rebels return nine players and four starters from last years squad that finished the season with an overall record of 9-18. The Rebels finished seventh in the Western Athletic Conferences Mountain Division with a mark of 2-12. Head Coach Deitre Collins is in her third season and has a career record of 17-40.
NEW FACES
The Rebels welcome the addition of four newcomers as well as a redshirt from last years roster. Nora Bernson, a 5-11 freshman outside hitter from St. Pius X HS in Albuquerque, N.M., was selected as New Mexicos Player of the Year last season. Amber Graham, a 6-foot freshman middle blocker from Cimmaron-Memorial HS in Las Vegas, Nev., was selected first-team all-league last year. Jeanette Graves, a 6-1 junior outside hitter who transferred from Salt Lake City (Utah) CC, was a 1997 second-team JC All-American and first-team all-region player last year. The final newcomer is Keala Nihipali, a 5-9 sophomore setter who transferred from the University of Hawaii. Tiffany Whigham, a 5-11 junior middle blocker who redshirted last year is now eligible to play.
REBEL RETURNERS
The Rebels return nine players from last years squad. 6-foot setter Meri-de Boyer, the teams lone senior, will be looked upon to lead the team. She led the team in assists (8.77 pg) and digs (2.98 pg) last year. Angie Sylvas, a 5-11 junior outside hitter, suffered a season-ending knee injury during the seventh game of 1997 and received a medical redshirt. She was leading the team with 4.46 kills per game before the injury. Sylvas is the only Rebel to ever win a WAC Player of the Week award as she won it during the first week of 1997.
The other returning outside hitters for the Rebels are 5-10 junior Christel Eves, 6-foot junior Danielle Gerlach and 6-foot sophomore Justine Kamelamela. Eves and Gerlach also play middle blocker. 6-3 sophomore Michele Peoples is the other returning middle blocker for the Rebels. Peoples led the team in blocks per game last year with 1.00. Returning at the defensive specialist position are Ana Ramos, a 5-4 sophomore, Kendra Wilkinson, a 5-4 junior and Erica Enfield, a 5-8 junior.
LAST WEEK -
Last week, UNLV opened its season by defeating Iowa State (3-0), Alaska Fairbanks (3-0) and Duke (3-2) to capture the title at the Nanook Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska...Junior outside hitter Angie Sylvas was named MVP of the tournament, while senior setter Meri-de Boyer and sophomore outside hitter Justine Kamelamela were both named to the all-tournament team.
NEXT WEEK -
UNLV will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to compete in the Carolina Classic, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18-19...The round-robin tournament, hosted by the University of North Carolina, will also feature Cincinnati, George Mason and Idaho.
THE LAST TIME - Last year, UNLV opened its home schedule with a loss to Eastern Washington in the inaugural Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic...The Rebels lost to EWU 3-1, but defeated UC Irvine 3-0 and Creighton 3-0 in their two other matches...The last time a Rebel volleyball team opened its home schedule with a win was in 1979 when UNLV beat Dixie College in the UNLV Invitational...The 3-0 start this season matches last seasons 3-0 start...If UNLV wins its first match this weekend, it will be its best start since the 1979 squad went 5-0...This years tournament marks the second year of the Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic.
SERIES HISTORY -
UNLV leads the all-time series with New Mexico State 2-1...The last meeting was on Sept. 12, 1997 at the DoubleTree Invitational in Tucson, Ariz...UNLV won that match 3-0...The Rebels have faced NMSU all three times at neutral sites...UNLV has never faced Youngstown State or Southwest Texas State in volleyball.
HEAD COACH DEITRE COLLINS
Head coach Deitre Collins (Hawaii, 95) is in her third season at UNLV. A former member of the U.S. National Team and a three-time NCAA All-American middle blocker at Hawaii, Collins, led her first Rebel team to a 1996 WAC Tournament berth and this past summer led the U.S. Junior National Team to a gold medal performance at the NORCECA Zonal Championships, qualifying the team for the junior world championships in 1999. 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).
The fourth coach in the history of Rebel volleyball, Collins is the only volleyball player ever to be named the Broderick Cup recipient, earning the award as the best collegiate athlete in 1983. She also is a two-time Broderick Award honoree, being named the best collegiate volleyball player in 1983 and 1984. In 1982 and 1983, she led the Rainbow Wahine to consecutive NCAA Championships as well as a record of 110-5 in her final three seasons. Her career head coaching record is 17-40.
ASSISTANT COACH KEVIN HAMBLY -
Kevin Hambly (BYU, 98) is in his second 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 mens club team in Northridge, Calif., prior to joining the Rebel coaching staff.
ASSISTANT COACH KEE WILLIAMS
Kee Williams (Hawaii 95) was named to the UNLV coaching staff this past summer. Williams, in her first year, came to UNLV from the U.S. National Team where she was training before suffering a career-ending injury. A star at Hawaii from 1990-94, she was a first-team All-American selection and a three-time All-Big West Conference Honoree.
REBEL HONORS
Junior outside hitter Angie Sylvas was named tournament MVP of the Nanook Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska...Senior setter Meri-de Boyer and junior outside hitter Justine Kamelamela were both selected to the all-tournament team.
REBEL RECORD SET -
UNLV set a team record for most digs in a match when it recorded 91 vs. Duke...The previous high was 86 vs. UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 19, 1985.
SYLVAS IS DOUBLE-TROUBLE
In three matches so far this season, junior outside hitter Angie Sylvas has three double-doubles in kills and digs. Against Iowa State she had match-highs of 14 kills and 18 digs, against Alaska Fairbanks she recorded a match-high 15 kills and 14 digs and against Duke she had 20 kills and 15 digs.
CAREER HIGHS SET -
So far this season, two returning Rebel players have added to their career-highs. Sophomore outside hitter Justine Kamelamela had career-highs of 25 kills and 16 digs vs. Duke, while sophomore defensive specialist Ana Ramos recorded a career-high 18 digs vs. Duke.
STANDOUT NEWCOMERS
In her first collegiate match, freshman outside hitter Nora Bernson turned in a solid performance recording 11 digs and nine kills in the victory over Iowa State...Junior outside hitter Jeanette Graves was impressive vs. Duke, recording 14 kills and seven digs...Sophomore setter Keala Nihipali contributed in the win vs. Duke as well, recording 10 digs...Graves is averaging 2.64 kills and 1.18 digs per game, while Bernson is averaging 2.33 kills and 3.00 digs per game.
LEADERS OF THE WAC
UNLV ranks No. 1 in the WAC in digs and service aces per game...The Rebels are averaging 19.18 digs and 2.36 service aces per game...Junior outside hitter Angie Sylvas ranks No. 1 in the WAC in digs per game with 4.27.
OTHER REBEL NOTES
The Rebels had five players record double figures in digs vs. Duke (Ramos18, Kamelamela 16, Sylvas 15, Boyer 12, Nihipali 10), while three had double figures in kills (Kamelamela 25, Sylvas 20, Graves 14)...The Rebels recorded their highest hitting percentage of the young season with a .302 performance vs. UAF...UNLV has averaged 18 more digs per match than its opponents this season.
