BOX SCORES: UNLV 3, UC Santa Barbara 0 | UNLV 3, Albany 1

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team (2-0) started its 2016 season in grand fashion with a 3-0 sweep of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (0-1) and a 3-1 victory (25-16, 21-25, over the Albany Great Danes (0-2) Friday in the Cox Pavilion. The Rebels got a pair of double-doubles from Alexis Patterson and Alyssa Wing while Bree Hammel recorded one of her own in the season-opening tilt of the two-day UNLV Invitational.

The Scarlet & Gray claimed the UCSB affair behind set scores of 29-27, 25-16, 27-25 while the Albany outing was won 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23.

The Rebels outhit their opponents by 68 points with 27 more kills (119-92) despite only attempting one more attack (320-319); however, they did commit five more errors (45-40). UNLV hit above .240 in all three sets against UCSB, but only did so once in Friday's finale versus Albany -- a .306 effort in the first set -- while UCSB and Albany were only able to top out with a .275 efficiency -- UCSB set one -- in their combined seven sets. Overall, UNLV averaged 14.9 kills per set to the combined 12.1 clip produced by UCSB and Albany.

In match one, UCSB and UNLV had three set-point opportunities apiece in the opening stanza, but it was the latter that capitalized on its third chance to claim an early 1-0 lead. The Rebels had an easier go of it in the second frame as they owned a pair of nine-point leads en route to a 2-0 cushion. The third saw UNLV occur two straight set- and match-point chances only to be foiled by the Gauchos. Ultimately, the Rebels had to stave off two ties before ending the bout at 27-25.

Patterson quarterbacked the Rebel attack with 40 assists while also contributing 10 digs, two kills and two assisted blocks. Hammel (13 kills), Wing (11) and Elsa Descamps (10) combined for 34 of the team's kill tally while Sadie Stutzman and Caitlin Wernentin had 14 more -- seven apiece.

Defensively, Hammel led the squad with a career-best 22 digs to go along with four assisted blocks. Carly Riehl (14 digs) and the duo of Patterson and Wing -- 10 each -- added double-digit dig outputs of their own, too. Ashley Owens, like Hammel, had four assisted blocks.

UCSB's Lindsey Ruddins led the Golden State-based team with 16 kills to go along with nine digs. Hannah Juley (23 assists) and Lexi Rottman shared the setting duties while Emilia Petrachi had a match-high 25 digs.

In match two, UNLV won the first set with ease -- led by as much as 11, but Albany countered with a four-point triumph in the second. The former was able to muster up enough points down the stretch in both the third and fourth sets to clinch each by identical 25-23 scores. The third was tied as late as 22-all while the fourth was deadlocked at 23-all.

Patterson upped her assist and dig totals to 53 and 15, respectively, against the Great Danes. Wing (18 kills), Hammel (17) and Descamps (12) paced the offense's attack, once again.

Riehl topped the Rebels in digs with 22 while Wing (17 digs) and Elisa Woinowsky (13) also recorded double figures.

At the net, UNLV was led by Hammels' five total blocks (two solo). Descamps had four blocks (all assisted) as did Owens (one solo).

Laini Leindecker (11 kills, 23 digs) and Kelly Cameron (35 assists, 16 digs) had double-doubles in a losing effort for Albany. Akuabata Okenwa also threw down 11 kills while Nicole Otero had 23 digs.

The Rebels return to action Saturday in the UNLV Invitational finale against the New Mexico State Aggies (1-1) at 2:00 pm. The day begins with Albany and UCSB squaring off at 11:30 am.

In other matches Friday, NMSU swept Albany, 3-0, but also lost in five sets to UCSB.