Special To UNLVRebels.com
By W.G. Ramirez

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Not too long back, the UNLV Lady Rebels participated in Nevada Reading Week, something UNLV Athletics has been a part of for decades.

And for a moment, senior Amie Callaway had a thought.

"The amount of excitement they had just to have you there; I'm a nobody really, but to these little kids, you are this role model for them," she said. "You are who they look up to, who they want to be and who they strive to be. And that's a compliment, and I feel like that's one of my favorite things about being a Lady Rebel."

Friday night, Callaway and teammate Aley Rohde will play their final home game as Lady Rebels, as UNLV hosts San Diego State at the Cox Pavilion for Senior Night.

Though this year's squad has repeatedly been promoted as a "young team" because that's exactly what it is, Callaway and Rohde have always been the staple marks and glue that's held together a scrappy and dangerous team that is hoping to make some noise in the 2016 Mountain West Championships.

It's been a long road for both, who have already begun thinking about their futures off the court, but are hoping to see an elongated campaign as the postseason approaches.

"I've been playing for 17 years now, and it's over in a week; or, hopefully more than that," said Rohde, who has already graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. "It's kind of scary because I don't know what's next.

Rohde, who spent her freshman year at Arizona and had to sit out one year after transferring, said her best and worst times in life have revolved around basketball. Smiles and cries, they've come in droves for the 6-foot-4 center, who hails from Cave Creek, Az.

"Some of it I've taken for granted," Rohde conceded. "I even considered hanging it up after graduation (in 2013). But I wanted a Senior Night. I want something to be proud of and tell my kids about. I want something to really look back on and enjoy."

Rohde has plenty to be proud about, as she's held her own in the Mountain West Conference as one of the top centers this season, and one of the most respected and well-liked players to don a Lady Rebel jersey.

Rohde ranks 11th all-time in school history with 86 career blocks while playing for the Lady Rebels. Add in her freshman year at Arizona, and she has 124, which would rank her sixth on the all-time list. And that's even after missing roughly 15 games and an entire summer due to various injuries. But she said determination and perseverance has gotten through everything.

"I've always been determined to finish it out and have something to be proud of and persevere through it," said Rohde, who ranks first in the Mountain West and 22nd nationally with 4.0 offensive rebounds per game. "It's always been hard, whether it be basketball or school or relationships or friendships - whatever it is - it's something you have to work through. And I think basketball is absolutely the one thing in life that has taught me everything I know about life."

Her relationship with Callaway has grown over the years, as the two have gone through many roster changes, whether players have graduated or left the program.

"I think we have been the glue with each other," Rohde said. "We've always kept ourselves together. When there have been problems, whatever they may be, I would always look to Amie. We have a really good bond."

Not to mention, as Rohde puts it, she can always count on Callaway for movie days during the summer or support while she hits the mall to appease her shopping addiction.

Callaway, a hospitality major, remembers coming in as a freshman and said it took some time for Rohde to warm up to her - "I don't think many players like hanging out with freshman," she said laughingly - but over the years she's grown to appreciate the same bond her outgoing teammate has.

She's also learned to appreciate the core values coach Kathy Olivier and her staff have always taught players: professionalism, competitive toughness and passion.

Like Rohde, Callaway said she's learned to build her life around basketball, and that will be the hardest adjustment, not having a set schedule to live by.

"I know what's going to happen daily, weekly, next month," said Callaway, who ranks eighth all time in school history with 96 blocked shots. "But now I don't know what's going to happen after basketball season is over, what job I'm going to get, stuff like that, and that's kind of scary."

Callaway is taking online classes, so it's made things easier to set a game plan to apply for a jobs. Any interviews or job placements that take her out of town won't be a problem as she finishes up her education.

But not having the camaraderie that is built within a team structure, like she has with the current roster of Lady Rebels, that's one of the biggest things she will miss after hanging up her jersey.

"I'll miss going through so many different things with a group of women and being able to connect with them on that level," said Callaway, who is fifth in the conference with 7.4 rebounds per game. "I'll miss all the personalities and all the coaches. It's always fun to have all these people around me every single day."

Both can be proud of a defensive legacy the team has built, as it is now one of the stingiest teams in the Mountain West.

UNLV is allowing 59.6 points per game this season, fourth best in the league and 87th in the nation. One year ago, the Lady Rebels allowed 71.7 points per game, and 69.6 in league play. The last time UNLV allowed less than 60 points per game was in 2011-12, when the team finished 22-10 and advanced to the WNIT.

"Every year we've gotten better defensively, and I feel Aley and I have been a really big part - not the only part - but because of our influence on people I feel like the younger players have looked to us to answer questions on defense," Callaway said. "I think that's what we've brought to the team. Even though we are a young team, we're the examples that people follow most of the time."

Friday night, they'll have one final chance to lead the new era of Lady Rebels, in their final home game.