Sept. 10, 2011

Final Stats

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels (5-4) lost their first five-set match of the season Saturday night with their 3-2 setback to the Cal State Northridge Matadors (6-4) in the UNLV Invitational. UNLV rallied back from a 2-1 set deficit and tied things up at 2-all after the fourth frame. The Rebels had a set- and match-point opportunity at the 14-13 juncture in the fifth and final stanza, but were unable to capitalize and finish things off before the Matadors claimed three-consecutive points for the win. In all, the match featured 36 ties and 11 lead changes.

Northridge and UNLV both owned tournament records of 2-1, but the California squad was declared the Invitational champion due to a tiebreaker. Eastern Washington and Southern Utah, this weekend's other two participants, each went 1-2. The match also had five members of the all-tournament team. UNLV's Madeline Westman, Makenzie Moea'i and Sekola Falemaka were named to the squad, while Northridge's Mahina Haina and Casey Hinger, the tournament's MVP, were also selected.

The Matadors out-hit the Rebels .237 to .199 and managed to accumulate eight more kills (70-to-62) and four less errors (24-to-28) on 23 more swings (194-to-171). Northridge owned four sets with .213 or better hitting figures, including a .308 in the third. UNLV, on the other hand, had three equal to or greater than .214 with its finest effort coming in the fourth set (.367).

The first three sets of the match combined for a total of 17 ties and only four lead changes, while the last two frames had 19 and seven, respectively.

In the fourth, UNLV led by as many as three points on three occasions with the third one coming on the sets final point at 25-22. Northridge held a slight edge at the 11-10 juncture, but watched as the Rebels quickly fought back to win two straight points for a one-point lead at 12-11. The set would end up being tied at 12-all and then three more times with the last one coming at 20-all. UNLV then won five of the next seven points for the 25-22 win.

The fifth was a see-saw affair that had 10 ties and five lead changes of its own. The biggest lead any team got in the set was when Northridge went up 12-9. UNLV wound up knotting the score at 12-all before going down by one again at 13-12. The Rebels then won two straight points to bring about their set- and match-point opportunity at 14-13, but three straight kills by the Matadors sealed the fate of the match.

UNLV was led by double-doubles from Daryn Glenn and Stephanie Thelen. Glenn combined 20 digs and 12 kills for her second double-double of the season, while Thelen notched her third with 53 assists and 15 digs. Glenn also had five assists and one assisted block to Thelen's two kills and two assisted blocks.

Westman led all attackers with her 19 kills and .485 hitting efficiency. She also contributed three blocks (one solo), two assists and one dig.

Moea'i had 10 kills, four digs and three blocks (one solo).

Candice Thomas came up big on both sides of the net with 10 kills on .231 hitting and seven blocks (three solo).

In all, four Rebels achieved double digits in digs besides efforts from Glenn and Thelen. Taylor Richard had a match-high 25, while Falemaka, who had seven kills, had 13 digs.

The Matadors were led by double-doubles from Natalie Allen (11 kills, 13 digs) and Britney Graff (12, 14). Hinger led the team in kills with 15 and added four digs and three assisted blocks. Northridge's setter Sydney Gedryn was a key component in her squad's win with a match-high 60 assists to go with nine digs, eight kills and five blocks (one solo). Cindy Ortiz led the Matadors in digs with 20.

The Rebels stay home for another week with their own UNLV Classic (Sept. 16-17). UNLV will square off against Fresno State on Friday night at 7:30 pm following Baylor and San Francisco's match at 5:00 pm. Saturday's docket will see each team play a total of two matches.

UNLV Invitational All-Tournament TeamMVP: Casey Hinger, Cal State Northridge
Mahina Haina, Cal State NorthridgeMakenzie Moea'i, UNLVMadeline Westman, UNLVSekola Falemaka, UNLVAnalaine Pelaez-Mailoto, Southern UtahShelby Puckett, Eastern Washington