Sept. 21, 2017 Box Score | @UNLVvball | 2017 Schedule | Purchase Tickets
LARAMIE, Wyo. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team (4-10, 0-1 MW) and the Wyoming Cowgirls (6-7, 1-0 MW) kicked off their Mountain West campaigns with a hard-fought, five-set match at the UniWyo Sports Complex Thursday night. Unfortunately, it was the host Cowgirls that came out victorious after they rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the contest that was decided by set scores of 25-13, 18-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13.
Wyoming outhit UNLV by 52 points (.213 to .161), and threw down 10 more kills (65-55) and also committed one more error (30-29) in three more attack attempts (164-161). The Cowgirls had their best hitting efforts in the first and fifth frames with .407 and .643 efforts, the latter of which was helped by nine kills and zero errors in 14 swings. UW; however, was limited to .085 to .167 hitting displays between the second and fourth stanzas. UNLV topped out with a .300 showing in the fifth and also hit .293 and .200 in the second and third, respectively, but hit below .100 in the first and fourth.
THE TURNING POINT: With the score knotted at 11-all in the fifth set, Wyoming's Marissa Harmon pushed her team ahead for good with a kill and a service ace. The two-point edge was enough for the Cowgirls, as they and UNLV swapped point for point until Halie McArdle clinched the set and match for UW with a kill.
STAT OF THE GAME: After it was held to a combined .122 hitting efficiency with 26 errors during the second, third and fourth sets, Wyoming registered a staggering .643 effort in the fifth and final frame.
REBELS OF THE GAME: UNLV middle blockers Ashley Owens and Elsa Descamps tallied 26 of the team's 55 kills and were involved in 10 of its 15 total team blocks. They both hit .333, although the former had 12 kills to the latter's 14. Owens added nine total blocks (four solo) to Descamps' six total blocks (one solo) and six digs.
QUOTABLE: "I'm really proud of our kids tonight," said head coach Cindy Fredrick. "This is such a tough environment to play in and we started off really bad. The second set we turned it around and played very well. Elsa (Descamps) and Ashley (Owens) played a great match. We should have taken that fourth set, but this was a really good effort tonight."
REBEL NOTES: *With her nine total blocks (four solo, five assisted), Ashley Owens moved into a tie for eighth place with Candice Thomas (2010-12) with 49 solo blocks in UNLV's all-time record book. Owens sits fourth in both total blocks (385) and assisted blocks (336).
*With her six total blocks (one solo, five assisted), Elsa Descamps moved into a tie for ninth place with Amber Graham (1998-2000) with 242 total blocks in UNLV's all-time record book.
*With the win, Wyoming moves within one match of tying UNLV in the all-time, head-to-head series, which the Rebels lead 23-22.
*Thursday's match was head coach Cindy Fredrick's 199th at UNLV, and the 200th will come at Colorado State Saturday. Only Deitre Collins (225 matches) and Allison Keeley (204) have graced the Rebel sideline more than Fredrick, the program's winningest head coach.
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The Rebels stay out on the road and will travel to Fort Collins, Colorado, to face the No. 22 Colorado State Rams Saturday afternoon (12:00 pm PT).
REBELS RETURN HOME: Following Saturday's match at Colorado State, UNLV will return home and open its portion of Mountain West play at the Cox Pavilion on September 28 against Utah State (6:00 pm). The Rebels will host Boise State two days later (September 30/3:00 pm).
TICKETS: Single-match and season tickets for the 2017 UNLV volleyball season are on sale now by visiting www.UNLVTickets.com or calling 702-739-FANS. In addition, special ticket pricing is available for groups of at least 20 by contacting Dan Johnson at Daniel.Johnson@unlv.edu or calling 702-895-1885.
Season tickets start at $40 for faculty, staff and seniors (62+) and $50 for adults. All single-match tickets can be purchased in-advance and online for as low as $5. As always, kids 12 and under and UNLV students with a valid Rebel Card are admitted for free.
