Sept. 23, 2008
LAS VEGAS -
Week Five Release in PDF Format 
First Serve After playing in ten of its first 13 contests on the road, the UNLV Rebels will return to Las Vegas for a four-match home stand beginning on Thursday, Sept. 25 and ending Friday, Oct. 3. The Rebels will open up action with back-to-back Mountain West Conference tilts against TCU (Sept. 25) and New Mexico (Sept. 27) before closing down the weekend with their in-state rival, Nevada, Reno, on Sunday (Sept. 28). The home stand will end on Friday, Oct. 3, with an MWC battle vs. San Diego State.
TCU comes to Las Vegas riding a 12-2 overall record. The Horned Frogs began 2008 with 9-0, but have suffered two defeats in their last five contests. TCU went 3-1 last week with a five-set win at home over New Mexico before picking up two more "W's" in the Gopher Invitational held in Minneapolis, Minn. TCU began the tournament with a loss to #8 Minnesota before knocking off North Carolina and Winthrop. In the all-time series, UNLV owns a 7-1 overall advantage. The Rebels have won six straight dating back to 2005 when TCU joined the Mountain West. The teams split their season series in 1998 when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
New Mexico will travel to Las Vegas after playing a conference match at San Diego State on Thursday evening. UNM sits 10-2 overall heading into its two matches this weekend. The Lobos went 2-1 last week in the Lone Star State. UNM lost a five-set match at TCU to open up MWC play, but rebounded with wins over Sam Houston State and UT-Arlington in the Holiday Inn Invitational. In the all-time series, UNLV owns a 15-6 edge. The Rebels have won eight straight dating back to the 2004 season. The Lobos' last win in the series came on Nov. 6, 2003, in Albuquerque.
Nevada, Reno will play two matches (San Jose State and Utah State) prior to its non-conference tilt with UNLV in Las Vegas. UNR owns a 5-5 record heading into this week's matches. The Wolf Pack went 1-1 last week with a win at Louisiana Tech and a loss at New Mexico State. In the all-time series, UNLV leads 9-7. UNR tied the series up with five straight wins between 2001-05, but has since witnessed the Rebels reel off wins in 2006 and 2007.
On The Sidelines: Following the conclusion of this weekend's matches, UNLV will only play one contest for the week of Sept. 29 - Oct. 5. The Rebels will close down its four-match home stand with a MWC throwdown with San Diego State on Friday, Oct. 3 (7:00 pm).
Weekly Rewind: UNLV went 3-1 last weekend with all three of its victories coming via 3-0 sweeps, while its lone loss was in four sets. The Rebels began the four-match trip through Colorado with a win at Air Force to open up Mountain West Conference play. After its trip to the Academy, the Rebels ventured to the Denver Invitational where they lost to the host Pioneers, but rebounded with wins over SMU and Georgia State. The three wins pushed UNLV's overall record to 7-6 on the year.
vs. Air Force: After beginning the 2008 campaign with nine non-conference matches, the UNLV volleyball team jumped into Mountain West Conference action on Thursday night and defeated the Air Force Falcons by a 3-0 margin at the U.S.A.F. Academy, Colo. The Rebels (5-5 overall, 1-0 MWC) extended its winning streak to 18 matches over the Falcons (4-8, 0-1). More importantly, the victory extends UNLV's overall winning streak to three matches and puts the Rebels at .500 on the season, the first time since opening the year 1-1. UNLV won the match by set scores of 25-14, 25-21, 25-13.
The Rebels out-hit the Falcons by a staggering .349 to .027. UNLV hit above .400 in the first (.400) and in the third (.444) and never below .235 (second). Air Force, on the other hand, managed only one set above the .000 barrier (.235 in the second). UNLV amassed nine more kills (40-to-31) and 18 less errors (10-to-18) than Air Force.
Jessica Walters led the Rebels in hitting with 10 kills. Walters swung 20 times and only miss hit twice for a .400 hitting efficiency. Erin Greenwood registered one less kill than Walters with nine of her own. Greenwood was tops amongst Rebels in hitting with her .500 average (9-1-16). She was tops on the team in blocks with three assisted stuffs. Melody Nua and Amanda Alles split the setting duties for UNLV. Nua tossed up 14 helpers to 12 by Alles. Camille Cunningham was tops for the Rebels in defense with 14 digs.
vs. Denver: The UNLV Rebels (5-6) had their three-match winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss in its first match of the University of Denver Invitational to the host Pioneers in the Mile High City Friday night. UNLV got off to a strong start by winning the first set in its fourth straight match, but Denver rallied back to win sets two through four for the victory. DU won the match by set scores of 24-26, 25-17, 28-26, 25-16.
The Rebels were out-hit .262 to .160. More strikingly, DU smashed 16 more kills (66-to-48) than UNLV and had one less error (24-to-25). The Pioneers swung .132 with nine errors in their first set, but turned things around as the match progressed. DU hit between .235 and .484 the remainder of the match. UNLV came out with a .152 in its first-set win, but followed that up with a .030 in the second frame. The Rebels registered a .244 to DU's .235 in the third, but the home team took the set.
For the first time in six matches (Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 6), UNLV's offense produced three double-digit attackers. Erin Greenwood led the Rebels with 14 kills and blocked five DU attacks (one solo). Cursty Jackson and Jessica Walters tallied 13 kills apiece. Jackson led all Rebels in hitting efficiency with her .360 average. Melody Nua dished out 30 of UNLV's 40 assists. Nua had nine digs, but was one shy of amassing a double-double. Camille Cunningham and Kela Lau Hee reached double figures in digs, as they stopped 15 and 10 Pioneer attacks, respectively.
vs. SMU: The UNLV Rebels (6-6) got back to their winning ways, as the team has now won four of its five matches after Saturday morning's 3-0 sweep of the SMU Mustangs (7-6) at the Denver Invitational. The Rebels have made quick work in those four victories, as the squad has swept past each of its opponents. UNLV defeated SMU by set scores of 25-21, 25-23, 25-18.
The Rebels out-hit the Mustangs by a .241 to .151 margin. UNLV hit between .158 (third) and .306 (second) throughout the match. SMU hit .179 in the opening stanza and then mustered it up to a .350 in the second, but came out flat in the third with a -.075. UNLV had four more kills (41-to-37) and four less errors (15-to-19).
Jessica Walters put together her sixth straight match with 10 or more kills, as she knocked down 15 in the victory for UNLV. Erin Greenwood managed the best hitting efficiency for the Rebels with her .368 coming off of eight kills, one error and 19 attempts. Melody Nua dished out a match-high 28 assists for UNLV Camille Cunningham led all defensive players with her 21 digs.
vs. Georgia State: The UNLV Rebels (7-6) moved to one-match over .500 for the first time this season with its 3-0 sweep of the Georgia State Panthers (0-12) on Saturday afternoon at the Denver Invitational held in the Mile High City. The Rebels have now won two straight matches and five of its last six contests. UNLV won the match by set scores of 25-13, 25-14, 25-19.
The Rebels out-hit the Panthers by a .318 to .040 margin. UNLV's .318 hitting efficiency was the second best output by the team this year, while the nine errors were the lowest committed thus far in 2008. The Rebels maxed out with a .429 in the first and only hit as low as .226 in the third. GSU, on the other hand, was held at .000 through the first two sets and managed only a .108 in the third. The Panthers averaged six errors in each set.
Cursty Jackson and Sara Nehf were the top hitters for the Rebels. Jackson tied for the match-lead with nine kills, while Nehf followed closely behind with seven. For the second straight match, Jackson was the most efficient hitter with her .750 attacking with no errors in 12 attempts. Melody Nua led the Rebels in assists with 15, while Camille Cunningham topped all defensive players with 12 digs.
All-Tournament Honorees: Thus far, UNLV has played in three tournaments and has had three student-athletes earn all-tournament recognition on seven occasions. Jessica Walters has been honored in all four, while Camille Cunningham (twice) and Kelsey Keeler (once) have received recognition.
ASU Sheraton Classic (Aug. 29-30): Jessica WaltersUNLV Invitational (Sept. 5-6): Jessica Walters and Camille CunninghamOregon Classic (Sept. 12-13): Jessica Walters and Kelsey KeelerDenver Invitational (Sept. 19-20): Jessica Walters and Camille Cunningham
A Pleasant Melody: Melody Nua is fast approaching a milestone in UNLV volleyball history. Nua has totalled 4.171 career assists to place herself second on the all-time list, but needs 91 to claim the crown. Nicki King (2001-04) currently sits atop the assist's chart with her 4,261 helpers. Nua already owns the 2nd, 3rd and 8th-best single-season assist tallies in school history.
She dished out double-digits in assists in all 13 of UNLV's matches this season and has achieved the feat in 102 of 103 career matches. Her best match, thus far, in 2008 came at Arizona State (Aug. 29). At ASU, she set a season-high 51 assists.
She has amassed the third-most digs on the team with 98. She has hit the double-digit mark in digs on four occasions: Dayton (Aug. 29), South Carolina (Aug. 30), Wisconsin (Sept. 5) and Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 6).
She has four double-doubles on the year with help from double-figure assist and dig totals in those matches. In all, she has 31 double-doubles for her career.
Besides helping her hitters rack up kills, she is known to contribute one every now and then. She has 41 kills of her own this year with a season-high six occurring twice: Arizona State (Aug. 29) and Oregon (Sept. 12).
She is UNLV's second-best at serving up aces, as she has knocked down 11 in 2008.
Going Green: Erin Greenwood made her presence known at the end of the 2007 season as a nice combination in the middle with Lauren Miramontes (2003-07). Greenwood is now the main threat in with Miramontes' departure due to graduation.
Through a month of play, she is second on the team in kills (124) and kills-per-set (2.58). She is hitting at a .296 efficiency, which is the best amongst Rebels with 50 or more kills.
At the net, she is first in blocks with 29 (seven solo, 22 assisted) with a season-high five (one solo) coming against Denver (Sept. 19). In the UNLV career record book, she has placed herself in all three of the blocking categories: 6th in solo, 8th in assisted and 8th in total.
Thus far, her best match of the season came against South Carolina (Aug. 30) in ASU's Sheraton Classic. Against the Gamecocks, she knocked down 20 kills and hit .452. The 20 kills were two shy of tying her career-best 22 racked up against BYU on Nov. 23, 2007.
On The Outside: Jessica Walters has played well enough the first month of 2008 to earn all-tournament honors four times over. At the ASU Sheraton Classic (Aug. 29-30), Walters smashed 60 kills (4.62 kps) and hit .278. In the UNLV Invitational (Sept. 5-6), she had 29 kills (2.42 kps). In the Oregon Classic (Sept. 12-13), she collected 42 kills (4.20 kps) and hit .293. At last weekend's Denver Invitational (Sept. 19-20), she had 31 kills (3.10 kps) and hit .244.
She leads the team in kills (172) and kills-per-set (3.58). She has hit for double-digits in 11 of UNLV's 13 matches. She has six matches of 15 or more kills and one where she tallied more than 20 (Arizona State - Aug. 29).
Against ASU (Aug. 29), she collected a career-best 27 kills, while hitting at a .404 clip.
Her best hitting efficiency came against Eastern Washington (Sept. 13), when she posted a .435 with 11 kills and one error in 23 attempts.
Sam I Am: After growing up in Las Vegas, Samantha Richard began her collegiate volleyball career in Salt Lake City at Salt Lake Community College. After a stellar career at SLCC, Richard chose to come back to Las Vegas and close out the final two years of her eligibility at UNLV.
Through a month of play she has two double-doubles (South Carolina and Cal State Fullerton). She combined 10 kills with 12 digs for her first as a Rebel against USC (Aug. 30) and then meshed 12 kills and 17 digs for the feat against CSF (Sept. 6).
She currently sits third amongst attackers with 76 kills. She is averaging 1.62 kills-per-set. Defensively, she is second on the squad in digs (117) and digs-per-set (2.49). She is third on the squad in aces with eight.
Another Cunningham: Camille Cunningham shares the same last name (but no relation) with a former UNLV all-time great...Randall Cunningham. Randall was inducted into the UNLV Hall of Fame in 1996 after his accomplishments on the gridiron, while Camille has spent her time on the court and has slowly worked her way into the record books.
After spending the past three years as a defensive specialist, she has taken over the libero jersey for the 2008 season. She leads the Rebels with her 248 digs and sits second all-time in that category with 978 defensive stops. She surpassed Brittani Lumsden's (2004-07) career tally of 922 this past weekend to move up the ladder.
She earned all-tournament honors in the UNLV Invitational (Sept. 5-6) and the Denver Invitational (Sept. 19-20).
She has registered at least 11 digs in all13 matches this season with six contests of at least 20. She amassed a career-best 33 against Arizona State (Aug. 29).
Not only does she stop opponents' attacks, but she manages to produce offensively for UNLV, as well. She leads the team in aces with 17. She has six matches in which she has at least two aces. She notched a career-best four aces against South Carolina (Aug. 30) and has two contests where she nailed down three.
Hi, My Name Is Kelsey: Kelsey Keeler had a sort of coming out party in the UNLV Invitational (Sept. 5-6). After playing sparingly as a freshman last year, Keeler has played in all 13 matches and in 37 sets. She has collected 62 kills for a 1.68 kills-per-set average.
After registering only nine kills at ASU's Sheraton Classic, she had a monster weekend at the UNLV Invitational. She tied Jessica Walters for the most kills (29) and best kills-per-set mark (2.42).
She kept her play up in the Oregon Classic (Sept. 12-13), when she was named to her first career all-tournament team. She threw down 13 kills, four aces, 13 digs and eight blocks (one solo). Against Baylor (Sept. 13), she managed career-highs with four aces, eight digs and four blocks (all assisted).
She had her best match hitting wise, as a Rebel against then-10th ranked Wisconsin on Sept. 5. She knocked down a career-best 13 kills. She got stronger as the match progressed, as she threw down six kills in the fifth and final set. She followed that double-digit kill performance with a second against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 6) when she picked up 10 more.
She hit a season-high .462 at Air Force (Sept. 18). She knocked down seven kills to only one error in 13 swings.
Keeley's Milestones: By defeating Arizona State on Aug. 29, in the ASU Sheraton Classic, UNLV head coach Allison Keeley reached two significant milestones in her coaching career. The 3-1 victory gave Keeley her 150th collegiate victory, as well as, her 75th as a Rebel.
Keeley began her college coaching career at Southern Arkansas University in 1998. She spent three seasons at SAU (NCAA Div. II) before moving to Villanova University in 2001. Keeley came to UNLV with 75 career victories and has doubled that thus far in her five-year run at the helm of the Rebels.
MWC Anniversary Team: Three former UNLV volleyball greats earned spots on the Mountain West Conference's 10th Anniversary Volleyball Team, as selected by a combined panel of media, institutional and conference personnel and on-line fan poll, the league announced Wednesday. Lauren Miramontes (2003-07), Maria Aladjova (2004-07) and Jada Walker (2004-07) represented the Rebels on the 16-member squad.
The three Rebels that were selected were vital to helping establish UNLV volleyball to the level it has risen to over the past four seasons. The trio helped UNLV to the program's first-ever conference championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament. UNLV witnessed its first back-to-back 20-win season, which included a program-best 24 victories in 2007 and a brief stint in the Top-25 rankings.
Rebels On The Tube: The UNLV volleyball team will make four appearances on television in 2008. The squad will have its home and home series with Colorado State aired, while the road matches at Utah and BYU will be shown, as well.
On The Mtn. (Cox Digital 334/DirecTV616)~Oct. 9 (6:00 pm PT) at Utah~Nov. 16 (7:00 pm PT) vs. Colorado State
On BYUTV (Cox Digital 352/DirecTV 374)~Oct. 11 (6:00 pm PT) at BYU
On CBS College Sports Network (Cox Digital 333/DirecTV 610)~Nov. 16 (3:00 pm PT) at Colorado State
