LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The No. 4 seed UNLV volleyball team defeated the No. 5 seed New Mexico in a full five set nail biter during the quarterfinals of the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship tournament on Wednesday evening at Cox Pavilion. The Rebels, who entered the tournament on a five game win streak, came out of the five set battle victorious going 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 15-13.

Fifth-year senior Mariena Hayden led UNLV as she recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 kills and a season-high 16 digs. Sophomore Arien Fafard recorded her first double-double of the season with a season-high 12 digs and 21 assists and senior Lauryn Burt added her sixth double-double of the season with 20 assists and 11 digs. Senior Milica Tasic added 13 kills for the Rebels and recorded a career-high 14.5 points and three blocks, while sophomore Gabrielle Arretche-Ramos earned a career-high 11 kills and 12 points.

New Mexico was led by Kaitlynn Biassou's 16 kills, 11 digs and 19.5 points, Uxue Guereca's 13 kills, 12 digs and 14 points and Kali Wolf's 12 kills, 12 digs and 13 points.

UNLV outhit the Lobos .174 to .164 for the match, and turned in 11 total blocks to UNM's eight. The match was a close one with 25 total tie scores and 13 lead changes throughout. The Lobos led 25-20 in the first set and 25-22 in the fourth set.

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: With the win, the No. 4 seed Scarlet & Gray advances to face the No. 1 seed Colorado State in the semifinals of the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship at Cox Pavilion Thursday, November 25 at 4 p.m.

The 2021 MW Volleyball Tournament is being held at Cox Pavilion Wednesday, November 24 - Friday, November 26. 

TICKETS: All-session tickets will be available for $25. Single-session tickets are available for $12 for adults and $9 for seniors (ages 62+). Student and youth single-session tickets are only $6 and kids ages two and under are free. Tickets may be purchased at UNLVTickets.com.

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: The winner of UNLV's semifinal match will move on to play in the championship game on Friday, November 26 at 1 p.m. against the winner from the game with the No. 6 seed Boise State and the No. 2 seed Utah State. The full bracket can be found here. 

OTHER NEWS & NOTES:

• UNLV is coming off a five-match win streak heading into the 2021 Mountain West Championships.

• Dating back to 2019, UNLV has gone 51-11 in its last 62 matches. The Rebels have won 22 of 30 this season and 20 of its last 26 heading into the semifinals of the 2021 Mountain West Championship Tournament.

• UNLV returned nine letterwinners this season including Hayden, an All-American and MW Player of the Year, Brennan, an All-MW First Team performer. 

• Also returning to the squad from last season were Gabrielle Arretche-Ramos, Lauryn Burt, Shelby Capllonch (honorable mention All-MW), Arien Fafard, Jordyn Freeman, Paola Garcia and Paris Oliveira. There are eight newcomers, which include six freshmen and a pair of international student-athletes.

• UNLV is coming off a record-breaking season during the spring that saw the Rebels go undefeated in regular-season play (12-0) and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels ended the season with a 13-1 overall record, falling to eventual national champion Kentucky.

• UNLV is led by fourth-year head coach Dawn Sullivan, who was honored following the Spring 2021 season with the MW's Coach of the Year award. 

• Hayden was named Honorable Mention All-America by the AVCA following Spring 2021 after being selected to the organization's Pacific South All-Region Team. She also was UNLV's first league Player of the Year in volleyball. 

• Hayden entered this season as the NCAA's active leader in aces (269) and aces per set (.674). Additionally, she sat 12th in total attacks (3,897), 13th in kills (1,484) and 23rd in kills per set (3.72).