SAN JOSE, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV volleyball team concluded its trip to the northern portions of Nevada and California with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose State Spartans at Spartan Gym Saturday. The win, which came by set scores of 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23, completed the season sweep of the Spartans by the Rebels.
 
The victory pushes UNLV to 18-8 overall and 9-5 in the Mountain West, while SJSU sits 12-11 and 7-7, respectively. The Scarlet & Gray, which has won three straight and five of its last seven, remains in a tie with the Wyoming Cowgirls for third in the MW standings, while Colorado State sits first with a 12-2 mark and Fresno State follows in second at 10-3.
 
UNLV outhit SJSU by 82 points (.292 to .210) with assistance from four more kills (56-52) and six fewer errors (16-22) in six fewer attack attempts (137-143). The Rebels topped out with a .393 hitting efficiency in the second and stayed within a range of .238 (third) and .297 (second) in the three other frames. The Spartans had their best showing in the fourth, with a .391, but had a .294 in the second, .167 in the first and .091 in the third.
 
The Rebels also held advantages in assists (51-49) and total team blocks (12.0-5.0); however, the Spartans had five more aces (11-6) and five more digs (62-57).
 
TURNING POINT: After playing to a 1-all tie through two sets, UNLV was able to withstand a late push by SJSU in the third to take a 2-1 lead in the match. The Rebels and Spartans sat deadlocked at 17-all in the third until the former won six of the next nine points to push out to a three-point lead at 23-20. SJSU fought back to even the score at 23-all, but a timeout quelled the run as UNLV came out of the stoppage scoring the next to points to claim the set.
 
The fourth came down to the wire, as well, as it was knotted as late as 22-all; however, it was UNLV that would win three of the next four points – off two kills from Mariena Hayden and one from Elsa Descamps – to win the set and, subsequently, the match.

QUOTABLE: "Great team effort today," said head coach Dawn Sullivan. "San Jose State is playing well right now, and had won three straight coming into today's match. They are a strong serving team and they showed that today with 11 aces. I'm happy with how our team stayed patient with our first contact & battled for points."
 
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV had three players record double figures in kills, with Hayden throwing down a team-high 15, while Thea Sweder and Kate Brennan had 14 and 10, respectively. Additionally, Descamps had nine kills. The quartet, which hit .250 or better individually, accounted for 48 of the team's 56 kills, which was 86 percent of UNLV's output.
 
STAT OF THE GAME, PART TWO: UNLV had three players record double figures in digs, with a team-high 14 from Jillian Berg and 10 more from both Elena Ivanova and Shania Scott.
 
STAT OF THE GAME, PART THREE: UNLV registered 14 kills in all four sets and, conversely, only had four or fewer errors in three of those. The Rebels misfired on six attack attempts in the fourth.
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: Descamps loomed large on both sides of the net, as she hit .350 with nine kills coupled with eight total blocks (one solo/seven assisted). She also added four digs and two assists.
 
REBEL NOTES:
- Through 26 matches, UNLV's 18-8 record is the fourth best in program history, and only trails the 21-5 marks by the 2007 and 2016 squads, the 20-6 showing by the 2014 team and 1998's 19-7.
- UNLV is 10-7 all-time against SJSU, with all 10 wins coming in the last 12 meetings.
- UNLV is 8-2 in Saturday matches.
- UNLV is 9-6 in four-set matches this season, and has played 10 of its last 13 to 3-1 scores.
- Saturday's win was UNLV's 17th in 20 matches this season when it posts a higher hitting efficiency than its opponent.
- Saturday's win was UNLV's 15th in 19 matches this season when it records more kills than its opponent.
- Sweder's 14 kills were both a season and career high.
- With her 15 kills, Hayden has reached double digits in kills in all 25 matches that she has played in, and has 427 on the year, which are the fifth most in UNLV's single-season records. She surpassed four Rebel alumnae in today's match alone. She needs 14 more to tie Leiana Oswald's 441 posted in 2003 for fourth.
- With her two aces, Hayden has an NCAA-high 86 on the year and 129 for her career; both figures are program bests.
- With her eight total blocks (one solo/seven assisted), Descamps upped her career total of assisted blocks to 361 to aid her third-place standing in the program's record book. She also ranks fourth in career total blocks (416) and eighth in solo blocks (55).
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV returns to Las Vegas and the Cox Pavilion Nov. 8 and 10 to close out its 2018 regular-season home schedule. The Rebels host San Diego State on Thursday, Nov. 8 (6:00 pm) and Fresno State on Saturday, Nov. 10 (2:00 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.