It's time to take you inside for the third edition of the #RebelTop5 following the revealing of a pair of outdoor sports - football and men's soccer - the past two weeks. This week's historical feature spotlights the volleyball team and its top players of the past decade (2010-19).
This was not an easy list to compile, so be sure to let us know on social media if you agree or disagree with our #RebelTop5.
And now we present the #RebelTop5 for Volleyball!
No. 5: Daryn Glenn, Right-Side/Outside Hitter (2011-14)
It's been six years since the native of the Golden State wrapped up her four-year career at UNLV. There were many Rebels that played before, during and after her tenure, but Daryn Glenn is the only Rebel to have played in 122 matches. Adding to that, the native of Corona, California, was the first to don the Scarlet & Gray and record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. From 2011-14, Glenn tallied 1,095 kills and 1,177 digs, which are – to-date – the sixth and fifth most in program history, respectively. She also played in the third-most sets (443) and posted 26 career double-doubles.
No. 4: Alexis Patterson, Setter (2014-16)
The setter from the Grand Canyon State made an immediate impact on the Rebel lineup from the get-go. Patterson, who came to UNLV by way of Phoenix, was selected to two Mountain West All-Conference Teams and was tabbed the Player of the Week on three occasions. In all, she amassed 33 career double-doubles in her three years and ranks 23rd historically in the Mountain West. She threw down 100 or more kills and dished out at least 1,091 assists in each season. Delving deeper, her 1,258 assists in '16 were tops in the MW that campaign. For her career, she dished out 3,520 assists – the third most in UNLV history – and is one of only 23 in conference lore to surpass the 3,500 mark. On the defensive side of the net, she tallied 775 digs and 229 total blocks, with her 222 assisted stuffs ranking 10th all-time at UNLV.
BONUS NOTE: Patterson posted the program's third double-double in MW play with a combination of 37 assists, 12 digs and 10 kills against New Mexico on Nov. 22, 2016.
No. 3: Madeline Westman, Middle Blocker (2010-13)
The middle blocker came to Las Vegas and UNLV from Illinois, and wound up leaving her mark in multiple areas of the program's record book. The two-time All-Mountain West Team performer is still the most prolific blocker in Rebel history, sitting first in total blocks (515) and assisted blocks (443), and fourth in solo blocks (72). Westman was also formidable on the offensive side of the net, throwing down 1,011 kills (eighth at UNLV) in 2,399 total attempts (10th) for a .288 hitting efficiency (fifth). She showed her durability over her four-year career by playing in 448 sets and 117 matches, which rank first and fifth, respectively, at UNLV.
No. 2: Bree Hammel, Outside Hitter/Middle Blocker (2012-16)
The Las Vegas native stayed home and helped propel the Rebels to two of the most successful seasons as well as four consecutive winning campaigns in program history. In her four years playing for the Scarlet & Gray (2013-16), Hammel helped the team win 82 contests – the most in a four-year period since volleyball began to be played at UNLV in 1978. Included in that impressive win haul is arguably the biggest triumph in program history – an upset victory over No. 22 Utah in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The three-time All-Mountain West Team and two-time AVCA West Region Honorable Mention selection recorded 1,097 kills in 2,636 total attempts in her career, which rank fifth and eighth, respectively, in the program's record book where she is also listed in all three blocking categories: total (fifth: 394), solo (ninth: 50) and assisted (fourth: 344).
BONUS NOTES: Hammel amassed the second triple-double by a Rebel in MW history on Sept. 4, 2015 against Green Bay with 16 kills, 12 digs and 10 total blocks.
No. 1: Mariena Hayden, Outside Hitter (2017-Present)
The native of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, dreamed of playing at UNLV as a youngster, and since stepping on the court against Binghamton in 2017 she has been a stalwart in the lineup ever since her collegiate debut, which consisted of 13 kills, eight digs and four aces in the 3-0 sweep. After a freshman campaign that saw her amass a team-high 10 double-doubles and led the squad with 347 kills and 43 aces, Hayden has only upped her presence on the court and in the record books, while playing a major part in the Scarlet & Gray's winning ways the past two seasons (42 victories and two postseason appearances in the NIVC). The two-time All-Mountain West performer and three-time conference player of the week became only the second Rebel to register 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career at the end of her junior campaign in 2019. Besides her 46 double-doubles and 1,274 kills, she has also performed in the back row with 1,012 digs and 227 aces – the most in UNLV and MW history. She rewrote the program's single-match record for aces in 2018 with nine vs. Youngstown State and, once more, in 2019 with 11 vs. Utah State, which also aided in her becoming the MW's all-time aces leaders.
BONUS NOTE: Hayden's haul of 114 aces and .898 aces per-set average in 2018 (junior) were both the third most since the NCAA adopted the 25-point rally scoring format prior to the 2008 season. She only trails Penn State's Micha Hancock (126 aces/.992 average) and Jackson State's Christine Edwards (118/.950) in each category of the record book.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Allison Davies, Libero/Defensive Specialist (2010-14) – The libero/DS from Eugene, Oregon, was a mainstay in the Rebel lineup from 2011-14 and played in the second-most matches (121) and sets (446) in program history. The 2014 Mountain West All-Conference Team selection led the league in digs and digs per set that season. For her career, she recorded 1,779 digs; a figure ranks second at UNLV and sixth at the MW.
Elsa Descamps, Middle Blocker (2015-18) – The French national is the only Rebel in program history that can say that she has participated in both the NCAA Tournament as well as the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, helping the Rebels to a 4-2 mark in those two postseasons (2016 and '18).
Elsa Descamps was a sophomore on UNLV's squad that upset No. 22 in the first round of the NCAAs and was a senior that served as a mentor to a young squad that reached the semifinals of the NIVC. The two-time Mountain West Player of the Week is one of 25 players to have recorded 440 or more total blocks in conference history. To date, she ranks third at UNLV in both total blocks (446) and assisted blocks (383), and sixth in solo blocks (63). She also registered a .285 hitting efficiency (sixth), while playing in 423 sets (sixth) and 115 matches (eighth).
Sekola Falemaka, Outside Hitter (2010-13) – The Beehive State native was a one-time Mountain West All-Conference Team performer in 2013. Falemaka ranks second all-time in single-season kills in conference matches with 809 in '13, which were also the most by a senior in a given year. Additionally, she ranks 18th overall in the MW with 36 career double-doubles. In UNLV's records, she sits seventh in total attempts (2,689), eighth in digs (951) and ninth in kills (927).
Ashley Owens, Middle Blocker (2014-17) – The middle blocker from West Texas was a defensive wall at the net for the Rebels for four years. Owens and
Elsa Descamps formed an impressive combination at the net for three years. Owens, like Descamps, has placed her name firmly in the three blocking categories in the program's record book, ranking second in both total blocks (462) and assisted blocks (404), and eighth in solo blocks (58). Those 462 total blocks are also the 21st most in MW history amassed by the one-time conference player of the week.
Carly Riehl, Libero/Defensive Specialist (203-16) – The native of Yakima, Washington, found her way in the lineup all four years of her stay at UNLV. Riehl began her career as a defensive specialist before taking over the libero position upon Allison Davies' graduation in 2014. When the dust settled on the career of the two-time Mountain West Player of the Week, Riehl had played in the second-most matches in program history (121) and the eighth-most sets (414). While roaming the back row, she registered 1,218 digs, which ranks fourth at UNLV and 28th in Mountain West history. Additionally, she is one of only 30 MW players to reach the 1,200-career dig milestone.
