Sept. 29, 2009
LAS VEGAS -
Week Six Release in PDF Format 
First Serve: The UNLV Rebels (3-8 overall, 2-2 Mountain West) return home for a pair of conference battles after playing three matches in a five-day time frame last week. The Rebels welcome the Utah Utes (9-5, 3-0) and BYU Cougars (6-7, 2-1 - prior to Tuesday's match with North Dakota State) to Las Vegas for contests on Thursday, Oct. 1 (6:30 pm) and Saturday, Oct. 3 (1:00 pm), respectively. The UNLV-Utah affair will be televised live on The Mtn.-The MountainWest Sports Network.
Jackson Claims Weekly Honor: UNLV middle blocker Cursty Jackson has been named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball's Co-Player of the Week joining Utah's opposite hitter Karolina Bartkowiak for the award. This is the first career weekly honor for Jackson, who was tabbed the league's 2008 freshman of the year and the second for Bartkowiak.
Jackson, a 6-2 sophomore from Los Angeles, helped UNLV to a 2-1 record in MWC action last week with wins over Wyoming and Air Force. In a five-set win over the Cowgirls, she collected 18 kills with a .552 hitting efficiency, while chipping in five digs, four blocks and one assist. In a sweep of the Falcons, she posted nine kills, five blocks, three digs and three assists. Against San Diego State, she threw down 16 kills on .387 hitting and added six blocks. For the week, she averaged 3.31 kills, 1.15 blocks, 0.62 digs and 4.08 points per set, while hitting .430 (43-9-79).
On The Sidelines: After hosting the Beehive State schools, UNLV will stay home for a single contest on Oct. 10 next week, as the Seattle Redhawks comes to town for a 1:00 pm afternoon affair.
Scouting Utah: The Utah Utes come to Las Vegas riding a three-match winning streak, which has upped their overall record to 9-5 and given them a perfect start to conference action (3-0). The Utes began the year 4-0 before collecting two wins in their next five outings prior to this current three-match run of success. Utah played only one contest last week and it was against in-state rival BYU, which went the distance.
The Utes are led offensively by Sarah Hibbert and Karolina Bartkowiak, who rank first and second in kills and kills per set. Hibbert tops the team with her 153 kills and 2.94 kps. Bartkowiak, on the other hand, has tallied 149 kills and 2.92 kps, while notching the second-most digs (119), digs per set (2.33) and providing ample defense at the net with 36 total blocks (three solo).
Abby Simmons and Stephanie Neeley have split the setting duties for Utah, as they own 300 and 263 digs, respectively. Simmons average 5.77 assists per set compared to Neeley's 5.06. Keisha Fisher is one of three Utes to tally 100 or more digs thus far in 2009, as she leads the squad with 194 (3.73 dps). Chelsey Sandberg and Danielle Killpack average over 1.00 block per set for the defense. Sandberg owns 58 blocks (eight solo) for a 1.12 clip, while Killpack has 48 putbacks (one solo) for a 1.14 average.
Historically speaking, Utah owns a 26-3 lead in the head-to-head series with UNLV dating back to 1979. Two of UNLV's three wins came during the Rebels magical run to the MWC Championship and NCAA Tournament in 2007. The Rebels won the regular-season contest and then claimed the MWC crown with a 3-2 win over the Utes in the championship game. Overall, Utah has won 13 of 16 played in Las Vegas owning an 11-1 record in regular-season matches, while they are knotted with UNLV at 2-2 in tournament affairs.
Scouting BYU: The BYU Cougars enter the week sitting 6-7 overall and 2-1 through two weeks of Mountain West Conference action. The Cougars began the season winning four of six, but have since lost five of their past seven, which included a four-match losing streak. The team plays North Dakota State Tuesday in Provo prior to making its Saturday appearance in Las Vegas.
The Cougars are led offensively by Kayla Walker and her 214 kills, which equates to a team-leading 4.04 kills per set. Kiana Rogers is the primary setter, as she has dished out 478 assists (9.19 aps).
Defensively, BYU has three players with 100 or more digs with Morgan Lloyd Sorensen's 174 (3.28 dps) leading the way. Melissa Lake Wright and Rogers join their teammate in the 100 category with 124 and 105 digs, respectively. At the net, Nicole Warner leads the team in blocks with 66 (five solo) for a 1.25 bps.
Historically speaking, BYU owns a 21-6 lead in the head-to-head series dating back to 1984. Prior to 2006, the Cougars held a dramatic 20-2 edge, but have since seen UNLV rattle off four wins in the last five meetings. The Rebels swept the 2008 series, while winning two of three in 2007. UNLV has won three straight played in Las Vegas, but BYU owns the overall record by 10-4.
Rebels On The Small Screen: UNLV will make three televised appearances during the 2009 season. The Rebels will have games broadcast on The Mtn.-The MountainWest Sports Network and CBS College Sports Network.
The Rebels will appear on The Mtn. twice. UNLV's Thursday, Oct. 1 (6:30 pm) match with the Utah Utes will be the first appearance, while a road contest on Thursday, Oct. 29 (7:00 pm MT/6:00 pm PT) against the BYU Cougars is second.
UNLV's third and final televised match will be shown via tape delay. The home affair with TCU on Saturday, Nov. 14 (1:00 pm) will be re-aired on Tuesday, Nov. 17 (4:00 pm) on CBS C.
This Week's Promotions:
Thursday, Oct. 1: "Battle for the Mountain West" and "Meet the Runnin' Rebels" Night
-Come out and cheer on the Rebel volleyball team, as they take on the Utah Utes for Mountain West supremacy on national television!
-Meet the 2009-10 Runnin' Rebel basketball team and get autographs beginning at 6:00 pm.
-Tickets are only $1.
Season Long Promotions:
-Season Tickets are only $40.
-Regular adult tickets per game are $7.00 for adults.
-Kids 12 and under are FREE all season long.
-Students are FREE with Rebel Card!
-Get your high school volleyball team in for FREE! Just have your coach email the team roster to Rebecca.McDonald@unlv.edu or Elaini.Kollias@unlv.edu. Be sure to bring valid ID!
