LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Just two days after she was named the Rebel Challenge's Most Valuable Player, UNLV volleyball's
Mariena Hayden was tabbed the Mountain West's Offensive Player of the Week. Hayden led the Scarlet & Gray to a perfect 3-0 mark en route to the tournament title.
Hayden led the Rebels in kills (49), aces (16) and digs (26), and added two assists and two assisted blocks. She had no fewer than 16 kills and five digs in each match, which translated to a 4.90 kills per-set and 2.60 digs per-set average, respectively.
The native of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, led off the Challenge with a .375 hitting performance and a double-double with 17 kills and 13 digs to go along with five aces, one assist and one assisted block.
In a sweep of Cal State Fullerton, she had 16 kills, eight digs and three aces.
In the finale, a 3-0 victory over Eastern Kentucky, she hit .500 with 16 kills, eight aces, five digs, one assist and one assisted block. Her 16 kills were only two fewer than EKU's output for the match. In the first set alone, she had eight kills – four more than EKU's tally in the frame – and six aces.
QUOTABLE: "I'm excited for Mariena," said head coach
Dawn Sullivan. "She had a great weekend. I thought she did a nice job focusing on what was important and worked hard at being great at the little things."
NATIONALLY SPEAKING: Through nine matches and three weeks of play, UNLV ranks first nationally in aces per set (2.30) and fifth in team service aces (76). Delving deeper, 40 of those aces have come off of Hayden's right hand and placed her first in both aces and aces per set (1.21). Besides the aces figures, she sits third in points per set (6.11), fifth in points (201.5), 11th in kills per set (4.70) and 22nd in total kills (155).
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV hits the road this weekend (Sept. 14-15) for a trip to the Midwest for the Billiken Invitational in St. Louis. The Rebels will face Murray State Friday afternoon (3:30 pm CT/1:30 pm PT), and then play UMKC and host Saint Louis Saturday.
