Aug. 31, 1998
The UNLV volleyball team will open the 1998 campaign on the road in Fairbanks, Alaska, as it competes in the Nanook Classic. The Rebels will face Iowa State, Thurs., Sept. 3 at 7:00 p.m. PDT for their first match of the season. UNLV will then face Alaska Fairbanks on Fri., Sept. 4 at 9:00 p.m. PDT and conclude play in the classic with a match against Duke on Sat., Sept. 5 at 6:00 p.m. PDT. All matches will be played at the Patty Center (2,000) in Fairbanks.
THE OPPONENTS
Iowa State enters 1998 with a new coach in Kerry Miller. The Cyclones finished the 1997 season with an overall record of 10-23, while finishing 11th in the Big 12 Conference with a mark of 1-19. ISU returns four letterwinners and two starters from last years squad. Miller has a career record of 47-46 over three years.
Alaska Fairbanks comes into 1998 with eight returning letterwinners including three starters from last years team. UAF recorded an overall record of 7-22 last season, while it finished sixth in the Pacific West Conference at 2-8. The Nanooks are coached by Tim Brown who is entering his eighth season with the school. His record at UAF is 102-102, while his 17-year head coaching record is 340-245.
Duke enters the season with seven letterwinners returning, four of which were starters last year. The Blue Devils recorded an overall record of 15-16 during 1997, while finishing fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a mark of 9-7. Duke is coached by Linda Grensing who is entering her fourth season at the school. Her record at Duke is 37-46, while her five-year head coaching record is 98-69.
THE REBELS
UNLV returns 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 returns for her third season and has a career record of 14-40.
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.
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 YEAR
The 1997 UNLV volleyball team opened the season with a best-ever start of 7-1. After suffering some critical injuries the team struggled and finished with an overall record of 9-18 and seventh in the WACs Mountain Divison with a 2-14 mark.
THE LAST TIME
Last year, UNLV opened the season on the road with three wins at the Taco Bell Invitational in Reno, Nev. The Rebels defeated UNR in four games, Oregon in five games and Kansas in four.
After this weeks Nanook Classic, UNLV will open its home schedule as it hosts the Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic, Fri., Sept. 11 and Sat., Sept. 12. The Rebels, New Mexico State, Southwest Texas State and Youngstown State will be competing in the event.
UNLV has never faced Iowa State, Alaska Fairbanks or Duke in volleyball.
HEAD COACH DEITRE COLLINS
Head coach Deitre Collins (Hawaii, 95) is entering 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 14-40.
ASSISTANT COACH KEVIN HAMBLY
Kevin Hambly (BYU, 98) is entering 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 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.
