Sept. 2, 2016 Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team (4-0) rallied for a 3-1, come-from-behind victory over the Sacramento State Hornets (3-1) Friday morning in the first match of the two-day Rebel Challenge. The Hornets claimed the opening frame -- the first surrendered by the Scarlet & Gray this season -- only to see the Rebels swing the momentum in their favor late in the second set. UNLV won the contest behind set scores of 22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-19.
With the win, this year's squad became only the fourth to begin a campaign at 4-0. Previously, the 1979, 1998, 1999 and 2016 editions had only achieved the feat. More impressively, the '16 team is the only one to do it all at home.
The Rebels outhit the Hornets by 54 points (.276 to .222) with an advantage in errors (12-28) despite recording fewer kills (58-64) and total attempts (152-162). The home side committed 11 errors against 27 kills in 81 swings for a .197 hitting efficiency in the first two sets. The third and fourth frames were a different story for the Rebels, as they racked up .366 hitting clip with 31 kills and only five miscues in 71 attacks. Sacramento State, on the other hand, topped out with a match-best .405 effort (20-3-42) in the third; however, it's offense stayed within a range of .125 to .178 in the other three stanzas.
The Hornets struck out to as much as a six-point lead (11-5) in the first set; however, the Rebels fought back to pull even at 11-all -- the first of seven ties in the set. The visitors from the Golden State's capital city broke a 19-all stalemate with help from a pair of Rebel attack errors. UNLV was able to pull within one on two occasions (21-20 and 22-21), but never found the equalizer in the 25-22 defeat.
The second set was quite similar to its predecessor, as UNLV were the team that ran out to a trio of six-point cushions (16-10, 17-11 and 18-12), but had to stave off a late rally by its opponent. After seeing the Hornets ramble off a 12-6 run that included two failed set-point opportunities, the Rebels were able to break a 24-all tie with a kill from Caitlin Wernentin and an attack error from Sacramento State's Shannon Boyle.
UNLV separated itself from Sacramento State early in the third and built a six-point lead at the 17-11, 18-12 and 19-13 junctures. Unfortunately, the lead dwindled to two to three points in the waning stages of the frame and it was cut to one when the Hornets were able to fend off a three set points at 24-21, 24-22 and 24-23. A kill by Ashley Owens handed the Rebels a 25-23 win and a 2-1 edge.
The fourth and final set was played much closer with neither side able to distance itself from the other. Moments after Sacramento State pushed ahead by one at 19-18, the Rebels scored seven straight points to close out the match.
The Rebel trio of Hammel, Owens and Elsa Descamps were instrumental on both sides of the net, as they each had double-digit kills and a minimum of three total blocks. Hammel led the squad with 17 kills to go along with eight digs and five assisted blocks. Owens threw down 11 kills and hit .450, and also had three assisted blocks and two digs. Descamps, who had 10 kills, paced all with a career- and match-high nine total blocks (two solo).
Alexis Patterson and Carly Riehl topped the Rebels in assists (45) and digs (14), respectively. The former also chipped in six digs and three kills while the latter aced three serves.
Sacramento State's Boyle (21 kills and 16 digs) and Mikaela Nocetti (12 kills and 18 digs) registered the only double-doubles in the match. Setter Kennedy Kurtz, who had a match-best 54 assists, fell one dig shy of her own double-double with nine defensive stops. The Hornets' Lexie Skalbeck led all with 20 digs.
UNLV returns to the Cox Pavilion court at 7:00 pm to face the Hofstra Pride, which suffered its first defeat of the season Friday with a 3-2 loss to the CSUN Matadors.
NOTES: With the win, UNLV has won 18 of its last 20 matches played in the friendly confines of the Cox Pavilion ... UNLV's 4-0 start to the 2016 season ... Riehl's three aces tied a career high that had previously occurred against Oral Roberts on Sept. 12, 2015 ... UNLV improved to 2-0 in four-set matches.
