March 17, 2009

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV softball team (21-8) made an appearance in this week's USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll (March 17). The Rebels, who had not received any votes prior to this week's poll, enter the rankings 28th this week and sit behind Cal Poly and Iowa in the "receiving votes" category. UNLV comes into the week riding a nine-game winning streak, while winning 15 of its last 16.

This is the Rebels' first mention in the USA Today/NFCA poll since they picked up votes through the first five polls of 2008. UNLV cracked the Top 25 in the Feb. 19 poll after beginning the year with a 9-1-1 record. Unfortunately, the team slipped from its position and was out of the poll two weeks later.

UNLV will head to Northern California for the second straight weekend when they participate in the Capital Classic (March 20-21) in Sacramento, Calif. The Rebels will face two teams that are in the poll, as they will battle #10 California on the 20th at 3:00 pm, and then follow that up with their second encounter of the season with #26 Cal Poly on the 21st at 5:00 pm. In the team's previous meeting with Cal Poly, UNLV won by an 8-5 margin in Cathedral City, Calif.