LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball program has added a pair of August dates to the 2017 schedule with an exhibition against Southern Utah and a home contest against Eastern Kentucky. The former will take place in a neutral setting August 14, while the latter will occur August 29 at the Cox Pavilion.

The preseason bout with SUU is open to the public and will take place at The Barn at Rising Star Sports Ranch Resort in Mesquite with first serve scheduled for 6:00 pm.

The Rising Star Sports Ranch Resort is a destination resort and integrated sports tournament and training facility that is about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas on I-15. The resort serves as the hub of a wide spectrum of activities in the Southwest.

The match was made possible with the assistance of Andre Carrier, the Chief Operating Officer for Eureka Casino and Rising Star Sports Ranch Resort, and Greg Lee, the President of Eureka Casino and Chairman of the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees.

With the addition of the EKU date, the Scarlet & Gray will play a total of 31 regular-season matches this season, 16 of which will take place in the Cox Pavilion. The fall slate will feature 18 contests against Mountain West foes as well as 13 more versus nonconference competition. In all, the Rebels will face squads from 10 different conferences, including one each from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12.

The Rebels begin the season at home with the UNLV Invitational on August 25-26, with matches against Binghamton, UC Davis and Eastern Washington.

UNLV, which returns starters Elsa Descamps and Ashley Owens, is coming off a season that concluded in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and received votes in the final top-25 poll after the team won the program's first postseason match â€" a 3-1 victory over then-No. 22 Utah. The squad went 24-8 overall and finished third in the MW with a 12-6 mark.