LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV volleyball team returned home Thursday night and picked up a 3-1 win over the Wyoming Cowgirls at the Cox Pavilion. The Mountain West squads were deadlocked at 1-all after two sets of play, but it was the Scarlet & Gray that won a tightly contested third set before it claimed the fourth and, subsequently, the match. The Rebels (15-6 overall, 6-3 MW) knocked off the Cowgirls (14-7, 6-3) by set scores of 25-18, 20-25, 26-24, 25-19.
 
UNLV outhit Wyoming by 54 points (.203 to .149) with help from 10 more kills (55-45) despite having one more error (23-22) in four more attack attempts (158-154). The Rebels opened the bout with a .286 hitting efficiency, but stayed between .163 (second) and .188 (third). The Cowgirls, on the other hand, topped out at .393 in the second, but was held to .128 or worse the remainder of the affair.
 
The Rebels also held advantages on assists (52-44), aces (7-4), digs (76-67) and total team blocks (7.0-6.0).
 
TURNING POINT: After seeing the first two sets won by the team that staked itself to an early 1-0 lead, the third was up for grabs as the Rebels and Cowgirls exchanged the lead nine times and had 13 ties in the 50-point frame. Wyoming appeared to be headed to a 2-1 lead after it rattled off four straight points to turn a one-point deficit (15-14) into a three-point lead at 18-15. The cushion was later upped to four, 21-17; however, the Rebels countered with a 6-0 run to flip the momentum to their side of the court. UNLV then worked its way to two set-point opportunities at 24-22 and 24-23, but was unsuccessful as Wyoming fought back to even the score at 24-all. The Rebels managed to win the next two points off a kill by Mariena Hayden and an attack error by Wyoming. UNLV kept the pedal down in the fourth and struck out to as much as a seven-point lead, 14-7, before winning by six.
 
QUOTABLE: "I thought out team was just consistent on the serve and pass; we were a little shaky, but we pulled it back," said head coach Dawn Sullivan. "And handled the junk, the tips, the rolls, they did a nice job with that. In the second set they (Wyoming) were tremendous – they made no errors on their side – and we were not. I just talked to them that we need to be consistent on our side. For them (Wyoming) to play at that level over time, it's probably not going to happen; so, we just need to continue to do what we do well and things will turn our way."
 
STAT OF THE GAME: The first, second and fourth sets featured a total of zero lead changes and only four ties, while the third alone produced nine and 13, respectively. I think the fan support is amazing."
 
STAT OF THE GAME, PART TWO: UNLV registered its fourth-highest dig tally of the season with 76, as four Rebels were in double digits. Hayden led the team with 15, while Shania Scott trailed by one with 14. Jillian Berg and Elena Ivanova had 13 and 10, respectively. It's only the third time that four Rebels had 10-plus digs in a match, as it previously occurred against Youngstown State (Aug. 31) and UMKC (Sept. 15).
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: Setter Antonette Rolda dished out a match-high 42 assists and hit .500 with five kills against zero errors in 10 swings. Rolda also added one ace to go along with nine digs and two assisted blocks.
 
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV's 15-6 start is the fourth-best mark through 21 matches in program history, and only trails 2016's 19-2 effort as well as 2007's 18-3 and 1998 and 2014's 16-5 showings.
- UNLV has won two straight over Wyoming and Thursday's triumph ups its lead in the all-time head-to-head series to 25-22.
- UNLV is now 9-1 at home this season with Thursday's win, while the team is 6-5 in those contests played away from Las Vegas and the Cox Pavilion.
- UNLV has played 13 of its 21 matches to four sets this season to the tune of an 8-5 mark. Currently, the Rebels are in a stretch that has seen them play eight straight to four sets with five wins against three losses.
- With her 16 kills, Hayden has now thrown down 13 or more in the last 16 contests. Hayden has reached double digits in kills in all 21 bouts.
- Hayden notched her team-best 14th double-double with the combination of 16 kills and 15 digs, and both figures were team highs. She also had two assists, two aces and one assisted block.
- Hayden had two aces to give her 70 for the year and 113 for her career, which puts her second in UNLV's record book. She needs three more to tie Christel Eves (1996-99) for first place with 116.
- Elsa Descamps had three assisted blocks in the match, and moved into a three-way tie for third place in the program's record book with 341. Descamps sits deadlocked with Rebel alumnae Bree Hammel (2013-16) and Lauren Miramontes (2003-07). Descamps is also fifth in total blocks (397) and eighth in solo blocks (53).
- Descamps had 10 kills against Wyoming to notch her third match this season in double figures.
- Kate Brennan hit .421 with nine kills against one error in 19 swings, and also had six digs, four assisted blocks and one ace.
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV remains home with three more matches in the next seven days. The Rebels host Colorado State Saturday at 2:00 pm with New Mexico and Air Force waiting in the wings for bouts on Tuesday (6:00 pm) and Thursday (6:00 pm).
 
PURCHASE TICKETS:  Single-game ticket prices this season are $8 for adults, $6 for faculty/staff and seniors, although a special internet price of $5 is available for all tickets bought online at UNLVTickets.com, good up to three hours before the match. All high school, middle school and elementary students are now free under UNLV's new admission policy. To receive free admission, high school students must present valid Nevada area school I.D. at the box office on gameday to receive one (1) complimentary ticket. All other students will receive a complimentary ticket at the box office (no I.D. required). Kids not yet elementary school age will continue to receive free admission for all UNLV Olympic sports.