Written by Margo Malik, UNLV Athletic Communications

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Two of the four UNLV volleyball players that earned Mountain West All-Conference Team honors during the Rebels' record-setting 2014 season are back and ready to lead their team into the 2015 season. They are junior middle blocker, Bree Hammel, and sophomore setter, Alexis Patterson. Hammel had a breakout sophomore year and Patterson arrived as a freshman and made an immediate impact for the Rebels.

"I think it was my hard work that I put into the off-season and into the summer," Hammel says of her great improvement last season, "I knew I wanted to play." She wanted to contribute to her team and help the four seniors go out with a bang. She succeeded in that goal, as the Rebels had one of their best seasons in program history, finishing 26-7 overall. In addition to Mountain West All-Conference honors, Hammel was only the third player in Rebel history to earn regional recognition as an AVCA All-Pacific South Honorable Mention performer. On the court, she led her team in hitting efficiency (.343) and all three blocking categories (174 total, 25 solo, 149 assisted).

Switching positions was also a likely factor in the improvement of Hammel's game. "We moved Bree from playing outside hitter to middle hitter and it seemed to fit her really well," says head coach Cindy Fredrick, "She's an aggressive player, she's a very quick player, she's quick off the ground and has a good vertical and the position matched her really well."

The second-year setter, Patterson, says that coming in last season as a newcomer and having to be a leader on the court was a little overwhelming. She made an extra effort to come in early and work on her own with assistant coach Mashallah Farokhmanesh and she believes it paid off. Fredrick agrees, "She was in the toughest position there is, coming in as a freshman setter and taking over a team is really a huge task and she handled it very well." For added pressure, Patterson had to learn the sets in Farsi, since the Rebels call them in the language of their assistant coach, Farokhmanesh. Overall, the talented setter finished the 2014 season fifth among Conference players in assists (1,171) and tied for fifth in the league in aces (29).

Hammel and Patterson's significant contributions for the Rebels led to the two being chosen for the Mountain West All-Star Team that competed in Croatia this summer. The duo helped the team to a third-place finish at the Global Challenge, where they both agree that the style of play that exists overseas is completely different than what they are used to. "They don't ever let balls drop," says Patterson. "It's a relentless pursuit," says Hammel.

The Rebel volleyball team has been practicing for three weeks and Hammel says it has been tough so far, but worth it. Patterson says it is awesome to see the visible progress the team, especially the incoming players, has already made, "I can't wait to see, by the end of the season, how well all of us are gelling together."

Hammel says the team expects a lot of competition this year, "We just take it day by day and worry about our side; we don't worry about the other team." Fredrick echoed her sentiment, "We want to play well. We want to go out and do the best we can do and win as many games as we can." While the team is not explicit in naming specific goals, Patterson says it was devastating to narrowly miss the NCAA Tournament last season, which she will likely use as a motivating factor to go even further this year. Fans can catch Hammel, Patterson, and the rest of the Rebels as their season begins at home this weekend with the UNLV Invitational. The Scarlet and Gray will open up Friday at 6:00 pm versus Central Arkansas. The team appreciates the support of their fans and welcomes all to the Cox Pavilion to watch some exciting volleyball action.