LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV volleyball team claimed the Rebel Challenge title with its 3-0 sweep of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (1-8) Saturday. With the win, the Scarlet & Gray improved to 6-3 on the year following its perfect, 3-0 showing at its two-day home tournament at the Cox Pavilion.
 
The Rebels clicked from the opening serve with its offense producing a staggering .737 outburst in the first set backed by 14 kills and no errors in 19 attack attempts. UNLV followed with a .556 (16-1-27) and .312 (12-2-32) in the second and third sets, respectively, en route to a season-high .500 efficiency. Conversely, the Rebel defense limited EKU to only 18 kills and a paltry .029 output – both of which are season lows for Rebel opponents this season, with .062, .095 and -.030 over the first through third frames.
 
UNLV also held advantages in assists (40-18), aces (11-1) digs (30-29) and total team blocks (4.0-2.0).
 
STAT OF THE GAME: UNLV's offense only misfired on three attacks with no errors in the first, one in the second and two in the third.
 
STAT OF THE GAME, PART DEUX: UNLV's Mariena Hayden had 16 kills in the match, which were only two fewer than EKU's 18. Additionally, Hayden had more kills than the Colonels (8-6) in the first set and just as many as them in the second (6-6).
 
REBEL OF THE GAME: Hayden had match highs in both kills (16) and aces (eight), while hitting .500 and adding five digs, one assist and one assisted block. In the first set alone, she had eight kills and six aces.
 
QUOTABLE: "I saw a lot of progress this weekend in the way this team played together on the court," said head coach Dawn Sullivan. "I loved their energy and the fact that we were able to see multiple individuals contributing to our offensive numbers. This team has a lot more in them. We will continue focusing on the details that will keep us moving in this direction."
 
REBEL NOTES:
- Hayden was the Rebel Challenge MVP, while teammates Elsa Descamps and Lauryn Burt earned spots on the seven-member all-tournament team.
- UNLV improved to 3-0 all-time against EKU.

- UNLV's three attack errors were a program record and supplanted the previous low of five against Southeastern Louisiana in 2015 (Sept. 11).
- UNLV had 10 different players record a kill against EKU and eight of them did so without committing an error.
- UNLV had five players hit .500 or better with three or more kills, with Lauryn Burt leading the way with her .750 performance (3-0-4) followed by Erin Davis' .667 (4-0-6), Jillian Berg's .600 (5-0-8), Kate Brennan's .556 (6-1-9) and Hayden's .500 (16-2-28).
- With help from her 40 aces this season, Hayden has 83 for her career which moved her into a tie for sixth in the program's career record book with Angie Sylvas (1997-99).
- Hayden sits third in the program's single-season record book with 43 aces from last year. The 40 aces this season has moved her into a seventh-place tie with Bree Hammel (2016).
- Elsa Descamps moved into sixth place in the program's record book for total blocks (356) and into seventh in assisted blocks (310). Descamps, who has 46 career solo blocks, is three solo blocks from tying Candice Thomas (2010-12) for ninth in solo blocks with 49.
 
REBEL CHALLENGE FINAL STANDINGS: UNLV won the tournament title with a perfect 3-0 record, while Fordham took second (2-1), EKU was third (1-2) and Cal State Fullerton (0-3) was fourth.
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV hits the road for a trip to the Midwest to St. Louis at the Billiken Invitational next weekend. 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.