Sept. 16, 2016 Box Score
OREM, Utah (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team remained perfect in 2016 with its 3-1 win over the Utah Valley Wolverines (4-8) in the BYU/UVU Challenge at the UCCU Center. With Friday's triumph, the Rebels improved to 10-0 on the year and, in doing so, Cindy Fredrick recorded her 100th victory as the head coach of the Scarlet & Gray.
The Rebels, who have won a program-best 11 straight matches beginning with a 3-1 triumph over Fresno State in the 2015 season finale, took care of the Wolverines by set scores of 25-17, 28-30, 25-12, 25-12. It was the fourth straight contest that UNLV has played to four frames, and it's the sixth to go that distance this season.
UNLV outhit UVU by 137 points (.236 to .099), and owned advantages in both kills (55-44) and errors (20-28) despite attempting 13 fewer attacks (148-161). The Rebels were highly offensive in the first two sets, as their attackers combined to hit .208 in 96 swings (33 kills and 13 errors). They toned it down in the third and fourth stanzas with a total of 52 swings (22 kills and seven errors), but watched it's efficiency rise to .288. The Wolverines nearly followed the same pattern with the dramatic split between the first two and last two sets; however, a trio of sub-.109 hitting clips hindered their scoring. The hosts topped out in the second set with a .237.
Alexis Patterson, the reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week, led the Rebels with a double-double from a combination of a match-high 40 assists and 15 digs. Patterson also added three kills, three aces and two assisted blocks.
Bree Hammel, Sadie Stutzman and Alyssa Wing paced the Rebel attack with a total of 35 kills between the three of them. Hammel led the squad with 14 to go along with seven digs, three assisted blocks, two assists and two aces. Stutzman threw down 11 kills and also had three digs and three assisted blocks. Wing had 10 kills, three digs, one solo block and one assist.
Carly Riehl and Laura Butler patrolled the back row for UNLV and notched a total of 34 digs. The former had a team-high 24 digs as well as six assists to the latter's 10 digs and one ace.
Ashley Owens made her presence felt at the net, as she had a hand in a match-high seven total blocks (all assisted).
UVU's Sierra Starley (37 assists/13 digs) had a double-double in a losing effort. Kiahna Vernon led the Wolverines in kills with 16 while teammate Nakisha Willden topped all in digs with 26.
The Rebels will mosey east down University Parkway for a pair of matches at BYU in Provo Saturday. They will open up against CSUN at 9:00 am PT (10:00 am MT). UNLV and No. 9 BYU will tussle later in the day at 4:00 pm PT (5:00 pm MT) in a battle of squads that are receiving votes in the AVCA Top-25 Poll.
The Scarlet & Gray are back in Las Vegas on September 22 (6:00 pm) to open Mountain West play against the Boise State Broncos. Two days later, UNLV will face the Air Force Falcons at 3:00 pm (September 24).
NOTES: Patterson's 15 digs and three aces tied career highs for both categories ... Riehl's six assists tied a career high.
