LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV volleyball team knocked off the UC Irvine Anteaters in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship in three sets Thursday at the Cox Pavilion. The Rebels claimed the postseason victory – their second in program history – behind 25-19, 25-23, 25-19 set scores.
 
With the win over UCI (16-12), UNLV (20-11) advances to the second round of the NIVC and will square off against a familiar foe, the Fresno State Bulldogs (22-10), at home Friday night. First serve between the Mountain West foes is slated for 7:00 pm.
 
The Rebels limited their offensive miscues in the contest and only committed 10 errors, as they outhit the Anteaters by 68 points (.280 to .152) despite having two fewer kills (36-38) and attempting 19 fewer swings (93-112). UNLV opened the bout with a .458 hitting efficiency in the first, but dropped to .222 to .212 in the second and third, respectively. UCI, on the other hand, upped their hitting average as the match progressed with a .129 to a .135 to a .182.
 
The Orange County squad owned a slight edge in assists (35-34); however, the Rebels posted better numbers in aces (7-4), digs (47-43) and total team blocks (14.0-4.0).
 
QUOTABLE: "I thought this team came out really solid," said head coach Dawn Sullivan. "They were focused, determined and ready to make a statement. I'm very impressed with their serve and pass game, and then just controlling their side of their court and their errors. Honestly, we had a great blocking night, 14 blocks, and I think that starts with their serve. We were really aggressive with our serve and we got them out of system, so we knew where that ball was going and the middles were able to close and do a great job that way.
 
On Fresno State: "Fresno's a great team; we've faced them twice already. Tomorrow's just a new day. Come out here and compete and we just get after it; again our serve and pass, and can we control our side. I'd love to get a lot of fans out here to support us, and go Rebs!" 
 
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV registered a season-high 14.0 total team blocks, which were 10 more than UCI's output in the affair. In all seven different Rebels had a hand in at least two blocks. Elsa Descamps and Kate Brennan were involved in nine of those, as the former notched four solo and four assisted blocks to the latter's six assisted putbacks.
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: UNLV's Mariena Hayden had 14 kills, a match high, with five in both the second and third sets and four more in the first. Hayden also added four aces and two assists to go with six digs and two assisted blocks.
 
REBEL NOTES:
-Thursday's match was the first for UNLV in 12 days, as they last played on Nov. 17, in Laramie against Wyoming.
-UNLV snapped its three-match losing streak with Thursday's win.
-UNLV owns a 6-4 advantage over UCI in the all-time series.
-UNLV is 10-10 all-time against Fresno State – Friday's opponent; however, the latter has won four straight in the series dating back to the 2017 campaign. FS won both of 2018's meetings by 3-1 scores.
-UNLV is 2-2 all-time in postseason competition with a 1-2 mark in two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2007: 0-1 and 2016: 1-1).
-With the win, UNLV recorded its seventh 20-win season in program history, and ties the 2006 squad for the fourth-most wins (20); they trail 2014's 20, 2007 and 2016's 24, and 1984 and 1998's 23.
-UNLV's .645 winning percentage this season is the sixth best in program history, and trails 2007's .800 (24-6), 2014's .787 (26-7), 2016's .750 (24-8), 1998's .742 (23-8) and 2006's .667 (20-10).
-UNLV is 7-2 in Thursday matches.
-UNLV is 9-2 in three-set matches.
-UNLV is 19-3 when its offense registers a higher hitting efficiency.
-UNLV is 4-5 when its offense registers fewer kills than its opponent.
-UNLV is 17-0 when its offense registers fewer errors than its opponent.
-UNLV is 2-0 against the Big West this season; previously, defeated Cal State Fullerton 3-0 on Sept. 7.
-Sullivan is only the second Rebel head coach to amass 20 or more wins in her first season at the helm of the program; Karen Lamb had 23 in 1984.
-With her four aces, Hayden has 98 on the year, which leads all student-athletes in NCAA Division I. The 98 aces are the third most by a D-I player since the NCAA changed to the current 25-point scoring format in 2008.
-With her 14 kills, Hayden has 497 for the year, which are the second most in UNLV's single-season records.
-With her 32 attack attempts, Hayden has 1,180 on the year, which are the fourth most in UNLV's single-season records. She surpassed Maria Aladjova's 1,158 from 2006 during Thursday's match.
- Descamps has played in 410 sets in her career at UNLV, which are the 10th most in UNLV's career records.
-With her four solo blocks, Descamps has 60 for her career at UNLV, which are the sixth most in UNLV's career records. She surpassed Erin Greenwood's 59 (2006-09) and Ashley Owens' 58 (2014-17) during the match.
-With her eight total blocks, Descamps cemented her third-place standing in both total blocks (434) and assisted blocks (374) in UNLV's career records.
 
PURCHASE TICKETS:  Ticket prices for the NIVC second round 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 UNLV students as well as middle school and elementary students are now free under UNLV's new admission policy. Kids not yet elementary school age will continue to receive free admission for all UNLV Olympic sports.