LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV's
Mariena Hayden has become the first volleyball player in Mountain West history to earn the Conference's Offensive Player of the Week award for three consecutive weeks. Hayden, a sophomore outside hitter, helped the Rebels to a perfect 2-0 start in MW play with a home sweep of Boise State and a 3-1 win on the road at Utah State.
Delving deeper, UNLV has become only the eighth program in the 19-plus years of the MW to lay claim to three straight weekly awards. Since 2015, the conference has recognized an offensive and defensive player of the week, while it had only named a single individual to the weekly award from 1999 to 2014.
"I'm excited for Mo and this team," said head coach Dawn Sullivan. "They have bought into the process on being better with the small things and Mo is starting to reap the benefits. She is setting a standard of how we will compete at UNLV."
The Minnesota native posted a pair of double-doubles in the two victories and led the team in kills (43), kills per set (6.14), hitting (.382) and aces (five), and tied for the top spot in both digs (27) and digs per set (3.86).
In the three-set win over Boise State, she hit .520 with 17 kills and added 14 digs, and added three aces and one assist. She had a minimum of six kills and six digs in each of the first two sets, and in the first frame alone she hit .750 (6-0-8).
In the four-set victory at Utah State, she hit .314 and tied her career and season high in kills with 26, and notched 13 digs and two aces. She had eight kills apiece in the first two sets and threw down seven more in the fourth.
Monday's announcement marks the fourth instance the Rebels have had a player recognized for their on-court success, as senior middle blocker
Elsa Descamps was the MW's Defensive Player of the Week one week ago.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING: Through five weeks of play, UNLV remains first nationally in aces per set (2.31) for the third straight week, and it sits second overall in team service aces (120). Hayden has single-handedly aced 57 serves – a UNLV single-season record – and averages 1.10 aces pet set this season, and both rank first in the nation. Besides her contributions from the service line, she sits third in points (316.5) and points per set (6.09), eighth in kills per set (4.77) and 11th in total kills (248).
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV remains on the road for two more matches with stops in Albuquerque, N.M. (vs. New Mexico) and Colorado Springs, Colorado (vs. Air Force) next week on Sept. 26 (Thursday) and 28 (Saturday), respectively.
REBELS BACK HOME: UNLV will not return to play in Las Vegas and the Cox Pavilion until October. The Rebels will host San Jose State on Oct. 4 and follow that with a Governor's Series tilt with UNR two days later (Oct. 6).
PURCHASE TICKETS: Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 season. Season tickets are just $50 for adults, $40 for UNLV faculty/staff and seniors. 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.
