Aug. 25, 2011

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) -

2011 Volleyball Notes - Week One

FIRST SERVE: The UNLV Rebels open the 2011 season with three matches this weekend in Greeley, Colo., at the Hampton Inn & Suites Classic (Aug. 26-27). UNLV will open up with a pair of contests on Friday with the first against Colorado at 11:00 am MT (10:00 am PT) followed by a 7:00 pm MT (6:00 pm PT) affair with tournament host Northern Colorado. The Rebels close out its trio of matches with a single tilt on Saturday against UC Davis at noon MT (11:00 am PT).

HAMPTON INN & SUITES CLASSIC SCHEDULE:

Friday, Aug. 26
11:00 am	Colorado vs. UNLV
04:00 pm	Colorado vs. UC Davis
07:00 pm	Northern Colorado vs. UNLV

12:00 pm	UNLV vs. UC Davis
07:00 pm	UC Davis vs. Northern Colorado
*Please note all times are listed in the Mountain Time Zone and local to the site of competition.

ON THE SIDELINES: The UNLV Rebels will keep their act on the road following their trip to the Rocky Mountains. UNLV will participate in the Texas Tech Invitational. Joining the Rebels and host Red Raiders at the Invitational in Lubbock, Texas are Central Arkansas, Morehead State and Northwestern State.

REBELS PICKED SEVENTH IN MOUNTAIN WEST POLL: The UNLV volleyball team was picked to finish seventh this season in the 2011 Mountain West Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's eight head coaches. The Rebels received 20 points to finish six spots behind Colorado State's 60 points and five first-place votes.

The coaches' votes led to three teams being separated by only nine points with CSU atop the list, but followed closely by New Mexico and San Diego State. The Lobos garnered three first-place votes and 56 points for second place, while the Aztecs got 51 points for third.

TCU was tabbed fourth with 41 points, while Wyoming and Boise State were fifth and sixth with 27 and 25 points, respectively. UNLV checked in at seventh and Air Force rounded out the eight-team league with eight points.

THE 2011 SCHEDULE: The Rebels are slated to play in 28 regular-season matches in 2011 prior to participating in the Mountain West Tournament, which returns this year for the first time since 2007. The schedule is highlighted by two squads that played in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and owned a combined record of 1-2 at the national event. Colorado State went 1-1 with an appearance in the second round, while New Mexico went 0-1. Overall, UNLV will play 14 conference matches and 13 non-conference events.

UNLV's schedule can be broken down by conferences, as well. In all, the Rebels will play 12 teams from eight different leagues and one independent squad (Cal State Bakersfield). They will square off twice against schools from the Big 12 (Baylor and Colorado), Big West (Cal State Northridge and UC Davis), Big Sky (Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado), Southland (Central Arkansas and Northwestern State) and WAC (Fresno State and Nevada, Reno). They will also meet teams from the Ohio Valley (Morehead State), Summit League (Southern Utah) and WCC (San Francisco).

The team opens up the season in four consecutive tournaments for a total of 12 matches. The first two are on the road at Northern Colorado (Greeley, Colo.) and Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas). Following the tournament schedule, UNLV will have 16 regular-season contests remaining with 14 devoted to the Mountain West field and two to non-conference opponents (Nevada, Reno and Cal State Bakersfield).

THE 2012 OUTLOOK: The 2011 UNLV Volleyball team will have a much different appearance than it has had in the past on the sidelines with a new coaching staff led by Cindy Fredrick and her 23 years of NCAA Division I head coaching experience. In addition to the new staff, this year's squad features eight letterwinners and eight newcomers that will comprise the 16-member team.

After five consecutive years of at least winning 15 games, the volleyball program had fallen on hard times with back-to-back losing campaigns, but look to turn things around in 2011.

This year's edition features four upperclassmen, which includes two junior-college transfers - Elisa Brochado and Nikki Schneider, and 12 underclassmen. Amanda Alles is the lone senior on the squad, while junior Kendra Glendenning rounds out the quartet of seniors and juniors. Of the 12 underclassmen, five are returning sophomores, two are sophomore transfers and the remaining five are freshmen- including 2010 redshirt Layne Wilson.

This year's edition features four upperclassmen, which includes two junior college transfers - Elisa Brochado and Nikki Schneider and 12 underclassmen. Amanda Alles is the lone senior on the squad, while junior Kendra Glendenning rounds out the quartet of seniors and juniors. Of the 12 underclassmen, five are returning sophomores, two are sophomore transfers and the remaining five are freshmen - including 2010 redshirt Layne Wilson.

This year's squad has some shoes to fill with the graduation of Kelsey Keeler, Kela Lau Hee, Jeralynn Makaiwi and Sara Nehf, who was the team's lone honoree for All-Mountain West honors in 2010. Nehf and Keeler were instrumental both offensively and defensively, with the pair combining for 615 kills, 363 digs and 118 total blocks. Besides the defensive numbers put up by Nehf and Keeler, Lau Hee led the team with 413 digs, while Nile Te'o, a junior on last year's team, had 198 digs of her own before leaving the program in the off-season.

In all, 91% of last year's assists' production returns with Alles, Glendenning and sophomore Stephanie Thelen. The trio combined to dish out 87% of the team's 1,272 helpers.

Sophomore Candice Thomas and Madeline Westman helped the team at the net last year, as the pair combined to post 215 total blocks. Both of them found their way into UNLV's single-season record book in the blocking categories. Westman's freshman season witnessed her rack up the fourth-most assisted blocks (107) and sixth-most total blocks (123), while Thomas countered with the seventh-most solo blocks (22).

New to the roster besides Brochado, Schneider and Wilson are sophomore transfers Tori Lounsbery and Taylor Richard; and freshmen Nicole Buzo, Allison Davies and Daryn Glenn.

OUTSIDE HITTERS: The 2011 Rebels will have their greatest depth at the net. The team will have between seven to nine options depending on the lineup.

Outside: Brochado, Buzo, Falemaka, Glenn, Moea'i, Richard and Schneider will line up as outside hitters, while Alles and Thelen may see some time attacking when not at the setter position.

Falemaka and Moea'i are returners to the position and played in 30 and 26 matches each, respectively. Falemaka saw playing time in 92 sets and had one double-double, while notching 97 kills, 15 assists, seven aces, 121 digs and 16 total blocks. Moea'i played in 89 sets and compiled 164 kills, 14 assists, two aces, 72 digs and 16 total blocks.

Brochado (College of Southern Idaho), Richard (Western Michigan) and Schneider (Kishwaukee College) racked up impressive numbers at their previous stops before becoming Rebels. Brochado and Schneider both bring two years of collegiate experience with them to UNLV, while Richard, who may also see time as a defensive specialist, enters as a sophomore.

Buzo and Glenn are freshmen that will see some playing time on the outside.

MIDDLE BLOCKERS: The middle will be comprised of three sophomores: Thomas, Westman and Katlin Winters.

Thomas and Westman are a formidable duo that made their name known last year at the front of the net after playing in all 30 matches and 114 sets. Besides their impressive blocking numbers amassed last season, the duo also showed what they can do on the offensive side of the ball. Thomas led the team in hitting efficiency last year with a .242 average, while knocking down 238. Westman followed closely behind in efficiency as she hit at a .238 clip and owned 189 kills.

Winters played sparingly in five matches and 11 sets early in the 2010 campaign, but was limited the remainder of the season because injury.

SETTERS: Similar to the middle blocker position, the setters will return the same trio that dished out all the helpers to the attackers.

Alles, Glendenning and Thelen all saw time on the court in 2010 either in the 6-2 or 5-1 system that was being played by the team.

Alles ranks sixth in UNLV's career record book with 1,029 assists after playing in 65 matches and 198 sets over the past three seasons. She played in all 30 matches last season and all but three sets. She assisted on 619 kills and also contributed 100 digs, 58 total blocks and 11 aces. She also had three double-doubles.

Glendenning played in 29 matches and 95 sets and amassed six double-doubles. She was second on the team in assists with 382. She also chipped in 173 digs, six aces, two kills and one assisted block.

Thelen saw action in 20 matches and 38 sets. She had 110 assists, 10 digs, seven total blocks and four kills.

LIBERO & DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS: The back row will have a completely different appearance to it from the past few years. Gone are Lau Hee, Makaiwi and Te'o and in their spots are Davies, Lounsbery, Richard and Wilson.

Lounsbery has the most playing experience of the trio after playing her freshman season as a setter at Black Hills State. She had a total of 16 kills, 886 assists, 23 aces and 169 digs.

Wilson was a member of the 2010 Rebels team, but sat out the year as a redshirt.

Davies comes to Las Vegas as a freshman.