RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA (UNLVRebels.com) -  The UNLV women's golf team began its quest for a fourth consecutive Mountain West Championship Monday at Mission Hills Golf Club in Rancho Mirage and opened the event shooting a 22-over (310) as a team to sit in fourth after one round. The Rebels will start Tuesday's second round 11 shots out of first place, which is currently occupied by No. 27 San Jose State.

Sophomore Polly Mack and Cathy Liu each carded rounds of 2-over (74) to end day one in a tie for fifth. Freshman Veronica Joels and senior Shannon Oh came in seven shots behind them at 9-over (81) in a tie for 27th, while senior Elizabeth Prior shot an 11-over 83 to sit tied for 37th.

The Spartans shot the best team round of the day - an 11-over 299 - to lead by four strokes over San Diego State at 15-over (303). UNR sits two shots behind the Aztecs in third at 17-over (305), followed by the Rebels in fourth at 22-over and Boise State, Fresno State and Wyoming tied for fifth at 25-over (313).

Fresno State's Brigitte Thibault leads the field after a round of 1-under (71) Monday, with SJSU's Natasha Andrea Oon in second at even (72). UNR's Kaitlin Collum and SDSU's Fernanda Escauriza are tied for third at 1-over (73), while five other are tied for fifth at 2-over, including Mack and Liu.

CO-REBELS OF THE DAY: Mack and Liu were the most consistent Rebels of the day, with Liu coming in the top three for Par-3 scoring and Mack shooting the round's only eagle of the day.

NEXT UP FOR THE REBELS: Round two gets underway at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning with UNLV's tee times as follows: 7:45 a.m. Elizabeth Prior; 7:54 a.m. Veronica Joels; 8:03 a.m. Shannon Oh; 8:12 a.m. Cathy Liu; 8:21 a.m. Polly Mack.

REBEL SCORES:

• 4th - UNLV – (310, +22)
• T5th – Polly Mack, sophomore (74 , +2)
• T5th – Cathy Liu, sophomore (74, +2)
• T27th – Shannon Oh, senior (81 , +9)
• T27th – Veronica Joels, freshman (81, +9)
• T37th  – Elizabeth Prior, senior (83, +11)

TOP FIVE TEAMS 
1. San Jose State (299, +11)
 
2. San Diego State (303, +15)
3. UNR (305, +17)
4. UNLV (310, +22)
T5. Boise State (313, +25)
T5. Fresno State (313, +25)
T5. Wyoming (313, +25) 

REBEL NOTES: 

• UNLV finished in the top-10 in all five of six and in the top six in four of six regular season tournaments this spring, including a first-place finish at the Battle at Boulder Creek and a second place finish at Rebel Beach
• Polly Mack earned her first outright victory at the Mountain View Invitational this spring with a career-low 54-hole score of 10-under. She was named Mountain West Women's Golfer of the Week for the second time this spring after her victory
• 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