TUCSON, ARIZONA (UNLVRebels.com) -  The UNLV women's golf team turned in a stellar opening round at the Mountain View Invitational Friday at the Preserve Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona. The Rebels carded their best single-round team score of the spring, a 4-under 284, to sit tied for second after the first 18 holes. The 4-under was just one shot off of the squad's best team score of the 2018-19 season, a 5-under that came in the final round of the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown in October.

Three Rebels sit in the top 15 after Friday's round, with two - senior Shannon Oh and sophomore Polly Mack - in the top 10 in a tie for seventh at 2-under 70. Freshman Veronica Joels is one behind them at 1-under (71) in a tie for 13th. Senior Elizabeth Prior shot a 1-over 73 to sit tied for 27th, followed by sophomore Cathy Liu and senior Alyssa Getty, who is playing as an individual, in a tie for 54th after each carded a 4-over 76 Friday.

Texas State is atop the leaderboard heading into round two after shooting a 6-under (282) as a team, followed by the Rebels in second at 4-under (284) and Iowas State and No. 22 Washington tied for third at 2-under (286). Rounding out the top five is Texas A&M in fifth at even (288).

Texas State's Geraldine Wong leads the field by one stroke after a shooting a 4-under 68 Friday. Oh and Mack will start Saturday's second round just two shots off the lead.

CO-REBELS OF THE DAY: Oh had a strong first round, hitting four birdies and two bogeys on the day that included a stretch on the back nine of three birdies in four holes. The birdies were also falling for Mack as she had five in the round against three bogeys.

NEXT UP FOR THE REBELS: The Mountain View Invitational continues Saturday morning with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. MT.

REBEL SCORES:

• 2nd - UNLV – (284, -4)
• T7th – Shannon Oh, senior (70 , -2)
• T7th – Polly Mack, sophomore (70 , -2)
• T13th – Veronica Joels, freshman (71, -1)
• T27th  – Elizabeth Prior, senior (73, +1)
• T54th – Cathy Liu, sophomore (76, +4)
• T54th – Alyssa Getty, senior (76, +4)*

*Playing as an individual

TOP FIVE TEAMS 
1. Texas State (282, -6)
 
2. UNLV (284, -4)
T3. Washington (286, -2)
T4. Iowa State (286, -2)
5. Texas A&M (288, E)

REBEL NOTES: 

• UNLV has finished in the top-10 in all four tournaments this spring, including a first-place finish at Battle at Boulder Creek and a second place finish at Rebel Beach
• The Rebels finished second at their second annual Rebel Beach Invitational at Spanish Trail Country Club in February, which is co-hosted by Long Beach State. Prior blew out the field with a seven-shot victory for her second straight tournament win
• The Rebels opened the spring with a team win at the Battle of Boulder Creek, with Prior and Mack tying for medalist honors
• Prior and Mack were named Co-Mountain West Women's Golfers of the Week after their win at Boulder Creek, then Prior earned it a second consecutive week after her win at Rebel Beach
• Last spring, the Rebels won three consecutive MW titles for the first time since they won three in a row from 2004-06
• UNLV has won four conference championships in seven years under head coach Amy Bush-Herzer