Box Score: UNLV 3, New Mexico 2

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (UNLVRebels.com) - Fresh off the heels of its four-set come-from-behind victory over then-#7 Colorado State last Saturday, the UNLV volleyball team pushed the envelope five days later with another unbelievable win Thursday night. The New Mexico Lobos pushed out to a 2-0 lead at home in the Johnson Center, but it was all for naught as things turned around for the visiting Rebels after intermission. UNLV came out of the break and won the third set and then the fourth and then the fifth and deciding frame. In the final stanza, the Rebels snapped a 5-all tie with three straight points and never looked back in the thrilling 3-2 win (28-30, 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 15-10.

With the win, the Scarlet & Gray improved to 21-6 on the year and remain in second place in the Mountain West with a 9-3 mark. The Cherry & Silver, on the other hand, see its record fall to 16-10 overall and 8-5 in the MW.

The triumph was the first for UNLV in five sets since it knocked off Utah State on Nov. 21, 2013. More impressively, it was the first for the Rebels when trailing by two frames since they beat Wyoming on Sept. 22, 2009.

"This was one of the best comeback wins we have ever had," said head coach Cindy Fredrick. "Bree (Hammel) and Katlin (Winters) lit it up offensively and every hitter was in double digits tonight. Allison (Davies) and Carly (Riehl) played great defense and Alexis (Patterson) engineered the offense so well. I could not be prouder of this team's toughness and resiliency!"

UNLV outhit UNM by 22 points (.244 to .222) and it marked the first time that it defeated a squad that hit .172 or better this season. The visitors from Las Vegas had previously been on the losing end of six contests - their only defeats in 2014 - when their opposition hit .218 or better.

The Lobos threw down one more kill (76-75), but did so at the expense of committing seven more errors (30-23). The Rebels held a slight edge in attempts at 213-207. UNLV opened up the affair with a .197 hitting efficiency, which was better than UNM's .161, but not enough for the set win. The two teams combined for 29 kills against seven errors in 71 attempts in the second set, but the Lobos' .361 topped the Rebels' .257 to extend the lead to two sets.

From that point forward, UNLV hit a combined .265 in sets three through five with 43 kills and 12 errors in 117 swings. The Rebels hit .265 in the third, .195 in the fourth and .370 in the fifth, which consisted of 10 kills and no errors in 27 attack attempts. UNM tallied a .209 effort in the final three stanzas.

The Rebels had five of their own notch double digits in kills with Bree Hammel's 20 - a career high - leading the way. Hammel's career-high tally was followed by 14 from Katlin Winters, 13 from Alyssa Wing, 12 from Daryn Glenn and 10 more from Ceannia Kincade.

Winters paced all with a match-best .419 hitting efficiency behind 31 swings and only one error. Hammel and Wing hit well, too, with .395 and .333 showings, respectively.

Glenn notched a double-double with a combination of her 12 kills and 17 digs. It was her sixth of the season and 25th of her career.

Alexis Patterson fell short of her own double-double by one dig. Patterson dished out a team- and career-high 57 assists to go along with nine digs and five kills. Her seven total blocks (all assisted) were a personal best, as well.

Defensively, the Rebels got 28 digs from Allison Davies, who was one of three to crack double figures in the category. Carly Riehl had 17 to match her career-best output. Glenn rounded out the trio with her 17.

Besides the seven blocks from Patterson, UNLV got five more (all assisted) from Hammel and four (all assisted) from Winters.

Chantale Riddle, the reigning MW and Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week, had the only double-double for the Lobos with a pairing of a match-high 24 kills and 24 digs. Riddle's teammate, Cassie House, registered 21 kills in a match-best 56 swings. Hannah Johnson and Julia Warren led the home side in assists (65) and digs (32), respectively.

UNLV stays out on the road and travels north to USAF Academy, Colo., for a Saturday tilt with the Air Force Falcons, who sit 12-15 overall and 6-7 in league play after their sweep of San Diego State Thursday. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 pm MT (5:00 pm PT).

NOTES: UNLV's 75 kills and 213 attempts were the most since the 2012 squad had 79 kills and 224 attempts against Wyoming on Oct. 11 ... UNLV's 70 assists were the most since the 2012 squad had 70 against Wyoming on Nov. 10 ... UNLV's 84 digs were the most since the 2013 squad had 90 against Utah State on Nov. 21 ... UNLV's eight "true" road victories this season are tied with 1998's output for the most in program history ... UNLV has won 13 of 16 matches away from the Cox Pavilion this season and those 13 combined wins in "true" road and neutral affairs are tied for the second most with 1998's 13 ... UNLV has now won its last three matches played in Albuquerque against UNM and with the win upped its head-to-head record in the series to 21-16 and 12-7 in contests played in the Duke City ... UNLV is 1-2 in five-set matches this season ... UNLV is now 19-8 in the first set this season and improved its record to 5-3 when losing the opening frame ... UNLV is now 20-7 in the second set and improved its record to 1-2 when losing the first two frames ... UNLV is now 21-6 in the third set and improved its record to 1-3 when it trails 2-1 through three frames ... UNLV is now 8-3 in the fourth set and improved its record to 1-2 when it is tied 2-all through four frames ... In UNLV's career record book, Glenn moved into a tie for fourth place in matches played (116) and into fifth in sets played (422) ... In UNLV's single-season record book, Hammel moved into third place in total blocks (141), fourth in assisted blocks (120) and into a tie for fifth in hitting efficiency (.327) ... Winters moved into a tie for 10th in assisted blocks (100).