May 18, 2010
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Rebels added three more student-athletes to its 2010 lineup with the signing of Sekolatika Falemaka, Makenzie Moea'i and Candice Thomas this spring to National Letters of Intent. The trio will enroll at UNLV in the fall of 2010 and rounds out the six-member recruiting class that will be eligible to compete on the court this upcoming season. Stephanie Thelen, Madeline Westman and Katlin Winters signed on to play for UNLV back in the fall.
"These recruits are truly ball players in the best sense of the word," noted UNLV head coach Allison Keeley. "They are leaders on their respective teams. They are experienced, compete hard and love the game."
Falemaka, a 5'8" outside hitter from Grantsville, Utah, will graduate from Judge Memorial Catholic High School (Salt Lake City) in 2010. She helped guide her Lady Bulldogs to sixth and eighth place finishes in 3A state competition the past two years and earned four letters in volleyball. As a senior, she was selected to the Region XI All-Region Team, while being named to the Salt Lake Tribune's and Deseret News' UHSAA Volleyball First Teams.
"Sekola plays with a ton of passion and energy. She is a strong all-around competitor and is just fun to watch."
Moea'i, a 6'0" outside hitter from American Fork, Utah, will graduate from American Fork High School in 2010. She lettered four years in each volleyball and basketball. She helped the Lady Cavemen volleyball team to their highest finishes in 2007 during her four years with a second place showing in region action and fourth place in 5A state competition. She was an all-state member for all four years, while earning all-state honors on three occasions. She was named to the 2009 Utah Volleyball Coaches Association All-Tournament Team. She earned AFHS MVP honors in 2008 and '09. On the basketball court, she helped the Lady Cavemen to three consecutive first-place finishes in region from 2008-10, while winning state in 2009. Her team was a state runner-up in 2008 and finished fourth in 2010. As a forward, she took home all-state and all-region accolades all four years. She was named to the Utah Basketball Coaches Association All-Tournament Team, as well as, the Utah Valley All-Tournament Team.
"Makenzie plays with a quiet intensity. She is a mature player that is a big time attacker with a lot of intangibles."
Thomas, a 5'10" middle blocker and outside hitter from Forth Worth, Texas, will graduate from North Crowley High School (Fort Worth) in 2010. She lettered three years in volleyball and two in basketball. She helped the Panthers volleyball team to a 5A district championship in 2009-10, while helping the team finish first in the DFW area and becoming Bi-District Champions. The squad placed in each tournament they participated in. She earned all-district honors each of her three years with first team showings in 2009 and '10 and was on the second team in `08. Besides being a first team all-district member, she was selected as the MVP of the district, all-area, all-state and was chosen to participate in the all-state game.
"Candice is a tough competitor and has the right attitude to meet the challenges of starting as a freshman. Her lateral speed and ability to get off the ground quickly will allow her to transition well to the college game."
The Rebels kick off their 2010 season at a tournament hosted by Long Beach State on Aug. 27-28. UNLV will play St. Mary's, LBSU and Rutgers in the two-day affair.
