IRVINE, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV volleyball team (3-3) went 1-1 Saturday against a pair of Power 5 teams on the second day of the UCI/adidas Invitational at the Bren Events Center. The Rebels began the day with a 3-1 loss to California before rebounding with a 3-2, come-from-behind win over North Carolina.
The five-set victory over the Atlantic Coast Conference squad marked the end of the Scarlet & Gray's slate of nonconference, road contests. The Rebels will return to Las Vegas and the Cox Pavilion to host five straight matches that are part of two home tournaments: the UNLV Invitational (Sept. 13-14) and Rebel Challenge (Sept. 19-21).
CAL MATCH: The Golden Bears' outhit the Rebels by 274 points (.357 to .083) with help from six more kills (37-31) and 16 fewer errors (7-23), while attempting 12 fewer attack attempts (84-96). The Bay Area squad jumped out of the gates hitting .450 (9-0-20) and concluded the match with a .448 effort (15-2-29), but posted a .229 clip (13-5-35) in the second. UNLV recorded its top hitting display in the first frame with a .111 (10-7-27); however, the offense's output declined in each subsequent stanza; .108 (13-9-37) in the second and .031 (8-7-32) in the third.
On the defensive side of the net, Cal held a plus-6 advantage in total team blocks (10.0-4.0), but both sides notched 38 digs.
Leading the team statistically were
Alison French in kills (nine),
Antonette Rolda in assists (13),
Paris Oliveira in digs (12), and
Kate Brennan in blocks (three total).
UNC MATCH: The Rebels outhit the Tar Heels by 44 points (.248 to .204) and had 10 more kills (62-52) in 15 more attack attempts (157-142), while both recorded 23 errors apiece. UNLV saved its best hitting performances for the three sets it won, posting a .429 efficiency (15-3-28) in the second, .360 (13-4-25) in the third and .304 (9-2-23) in the fifth. Coincidentally, UNC had its three best hitting efforts in the second (.250), third (.281) and fifth (.263); however, two of those were set losses.
Defensively, UNLV was out-blocked by 4.5 (10.0-5.5), but had a plus-6 edge in digs (64-58).
The Rebels got a double-double – her fourth of the year – from
Shelby Capllonch with a combination of 20 kills and 13 digs.
Thea Sweder recorded a match- and career-high 24 kills and a .383 hitting efficiency to go along with five digs and two aces. Brennan had a season-high 10 kills off .368 hitting as well as four block assists. Rolda (31 assists) and
Lauryn Burt (27) split the setting duties, while Oliveira had a match-best 22 digs.
REBEL NOTES:
- UNLV is now 3-1 in neutral contests, but 0-2 in true road matches.
- UNLV is 3-0 in five-set matches, but 0-3 in contests that don't go the distance: 0-2 in four sets and 0-1 in three sets.
- Following Saturday's matches, UNLV has now had more kills, errors (tied once) and attack attempts in five of six matches, but has gone 2-3 in those affairs. The Rebels won the only contest (Portland) that they allowed more kills, errors and attempts.
- Capllonch has reached double figures in kills and registered nine or more digs in five matches, thus far, in 2019.
- Since being inserted in the lineup against CSUN (Aug. 30), Oliveira has reached double digits in digs in five straight matches, reaching the 20-dig mark in three of those.
UP NEXT: The Rebels return to Las Vegas and the Cox Pavilion with back-to-back home tournaments, beginning with the UNLV Invitational (Sept. 13-14) and bouts against Idaho, Texas Tech and Pacific. The Scarlet & Gray open tourney play Friday with a 10:00 am tilt with Idaho followed by a 7:00 pm outing against Texas Tech. The Rebels will close out the two-day event versus Pacific at 2:00 pm Saturday.
