LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV volleyball's
Mariena Hayden and
Kate Brennan were recognized by the Mountain West and its 11 head coaches for their play during the Conference's 18-match schedule this season. For the second straight year, Hayden was selected to the MW's All-Conference Team, while Brennan was an honorable mention honoree.
Hayden, a junior from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, led the Rebels in kills (323), kills per set (4.49), aces (57), points (398.5) and points per set (5.53). The outside hitter registered 14 double-doubles in league play with 13 coming off pairings of kills with digs, while one, more impressively, was off a combination of kills and aces. She notched double-digits kills in every MW contest and surpassed the 20-kill mark on six occasions, including a career-high-tying 26 at Fresno State on Oct. 5. She had 13 double-figure dig outings, with a season-high 19 against New Mexico on Oct. 22. At the service line, she aced 57 serves against league foes, with a program- and personal-best 11 coming in a win over Utah State on Oct. 10. She also added 19 assists and 28 total blocks (nine solo/19 assisted).
Brennan, a sophomore from Endicott, N.Y., paced the Scarlet & Gray in hitting efficiency (.356), solo blocks (14), assisted blocks (47), total blocks (61) and blocks per set (0.85). The middle blocker had a total of 116 kills with five or more in 14 matches, including 11 on two occasions. She had 10 outings where she hit .300 or better with a minimum of five kills, topping out at a .667 effort with six kills against no errors in nine swings in a win at San Jose State (Oct. 17). She also contributed 15 aces and seven assists offensively. On the defensive side of the net, she had 12 matches where she tallied 3.0 blocks or more, with 8.0 (one solo/seven assisted) against Fresno State on Oct. 5.
Colorado State's Tom Hilbert was named the MW's Coach of the Year for the 12
th time in his career, while Rams setter Katie Oleksak was tabbed the MW's Player of the Year for an unprecedented third straight year. Fresno State's Desiree Sukhov and Boise State's Lauren Ohlinger were selected as the MW's Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, respectively.
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV finished third in the Mountain West behind conference champion Colorado State (18-0) and runner-up Wyoming (16-2). The third-place finish was the best by a Rebel squad since the 2016 edition also took third behind a 12-6 mark.
- UNLV concluded the 2019 regular season with 15 wins in its last 16 matches. That 15-1 showing was only one off the program's best stretch of the most wins with only one loss, which is 16-1 compiled during the 2016 season.
