Oct. 1, 2016 Box Score
SAN JOSE (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team (15-1 overall, 4-0 Mountain West) was forced to five sets for the second time in as many matches during its current road trip through the Golden State. Just two days after a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs, the Rebels alternated set wins with the San Jose State Spartans (8-8, 1-3 MW) en route to a 3-2 decision Saturday afternoon. The Scarlet & Gray claimed the bout contested at Spartan Gym by set scores of 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 27-29, 15-11.
The Rebels' 4-0 start to the Conference season is tied for the best opening to an MW campaign since the 2012 edition reeled off four victories from the get-go.
In the fifth, UNLV overcame a two-point deficit, 9-7, by winning eight of the sets' final 10 points. The Rebels led by three at the 7-4 juncture, but watched the momentum shift as the Spartans scored five straight points to stake themselves to a 9-7 advantage. The Scarlet & Gray turned things around down the stretch with three kills apiece from Elsa Descamps and Bree Hammel as well as assistance from the Spartans in the form of a setting miscue and an attack error.
SJSU outhit UNLV by five points (.181 to .176) and held a slight edge in kills (65-63); however, the hosts committed four more errors (33-29) in 16 fewer attack attempts (177-193). The Rebel offense topped out with their best hitting display in the decisive fifth frame, a .222 clip with eight kills against two errors in 27 swings. They stayed within a range of .114 (first set) and .222 (fifth) throughout the bout. The Spartans, on the other hand, registered efforts of .300 (second set) and .250 (fourth), but were held within .079 (third) and .147 (fifth) the remainder of the affair.
"I give a lot of credit to San Jose State; they came at us hard and played amazing defense," said head coach Cindy Fredrick. "We had too many service errors today, and didn't put up a real strong block. We are happy to come away with another road win!"
Hammel and Alexis Patterson were key contributors for the Rebels, as both notched double-doubles in the triumph. The former combined a match-high 21 kills with 10 digs for the feat while the latter used a team bests in both assists (48) and digs (15 -- tied a career high). The duo also combined to contribute five of the team's eight aces -- Hammel had three to Patterson's two -- and 11 assisted blocks. Patterson had eight of those assisted blocks, which are a career high.
Descamps and Alyssa Wing also contributed double figures in kills, as both had 13. Descamps also added six assisted blocks, three assists, two digs and one ace. Wing chipped in four digs and two assisted blocks.
Besides the dig and block contributions from the aforementioned Rebels, UNLV also got 10 digs each from Carly Riehl and Elisa Woinowsky. Ashley Owens, like Patterson and Descamps, made her presence at the net felt with eight assisted blocks of her own.
The Spartans got a double-double from Giulia Gavio (19 kills/18 digs). Three others racked up double figures in kills with 13 from Thaliana Grajeda, 12 from Nandyala Gama and 10 from Latahevai Lousi. Luiza Andrade (23 digs), Jamie Hirai (14) and Hana Tresnakova (12) had 10 or more digs in a losing effort. Gama paced the team's blocking effort with 10 total blocks (one solo).
The Scarlet & Gray return to the Cox Pavilion next week with visits from it's the Mountain West's Front Range teams. UNLV and Wyoming open the action Thursday evening at 6:00 pm while a bout with Colorado State, the MW's preseason favorite, is slated for Saturday afternoon (3:00 pm).
NOTES: Descamps' 13 kills were a career high.
