LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The No. 4 seed UNLV volleyball team rallied to upset the No. 1 seed Colorado State in a full five-set match (24-26, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 15-8) in the semifinals of the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship tournament on Thursday evening at Cox Pavilion.

Fifth-year senior outside hitter Mariena Hayden led UNLV as she recorded her eighth double-double of the season with a match-high 28 kills and 16 digs, Hayden also tacked on 33 points for the Rebels. Junior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch was one kill shy of a double-double with nine kills and 17 digs, senior middle blocker Jordyn Freeman led the Rebels in blocks with five, added 14 points, nine kills, and hit a .538. Senior setter Lauryn Burt and sophomore outside hitter Gaby Arretche-Ramos recorded 26 assists each for UNLV and freshman libero Isha Knight hit 10 digs for the Rebels.

Colorado State was led by Kennedy Stanford's 18 kills and 21 points, Karina Leber's 11 kills and 12.5 points, Ciera Pritchard's match-high 40 assists and .625 hitting efficiency and Alyssa Bert's match-high 19 digs.

UNLV outhit the Rams .304 to .213 for the match and turned in 14 total blocks to CSU's seven. The match had 19 total tie scores and only eight lead changes throughout. The Rams led 26-24 in the first set and 25-20 in the third set.

The Rebels only faced the Rams once during the regular season at Fort Collins and fell in a three-set sweep (25-27, 21-25, 27-29).

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The No. 4 seed Rebels advance to face the No. 6 seed Boise State in the championship round of the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship at Cox Pavilion Friday, November 26 at 1 p.m.

TICKETS: 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 championship match will get an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Tournament. 

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 52-11 in its last 63 matches. The Rebels have won 23 of 31 this season and 21 of its last 27 heading into the final round 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).