March 31, 2010

LAS VEGAS - UNLV freshman Nives Pavlovic earned her first career Mountain West Conference Player of the Week award, the league announced Wednesday.

Pavlovic, a product of Belgrade, Serbia, went a combined 6-0 last week to help 29th-ranked UNLV to a 3-0 record against No. 72 San Diego State (W, 4-3), No. 59 UC Irvine (W, 5-2) and No. 47 Boise State (W, 4-3). In the team's MWC league opener against the Aztecs, Pavlovic downed Julia Wais (6-7, 6-2, 6-2) at No. 3 singles to clinch the match for the Lady Rebels, after teaming with junior Adrienn Hidvegi to defeat Olivia Colman/Alicia Aguilar (8-2) at the No. 3 doubles position.

Squaring off against the Anteaters on Friday, Pavlovic defeated Becka Kwan (6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6)) at No. 3 singles, after teaming with Hidvegi for an 8-6 doubles victory over Courtney Byron/Miranda Young. Pavlovic capped off her undefeated weekend by notching a win over Boise State's Biancha Jochimsen (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) at No. 3 singles, after teaming with Hidvegi to clinch the doubles point for UNLV with a narrow 9-8 (7-5) victory over the Broncos' tandem of Elysse Edwards/Jochimsen.

BYU's Evan Urbina was the men's player of the week.