LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The No. 4 seed UNLV volleyball team fell in four sets to the No. 6 seed Boise State (25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 15-25) in the championship match of the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship tournament Friday afternoon at Cox Pavilion.

This was the second straight finals appearance for the Rebels in the MW Volleyball Championship Tournament, dating back to 2011 against Colorado State.

Fifth-year senior outside hitter Mariena Hayden led UNLV as she recorded her ninth double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 13 digs. Junior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch had a match-high 14 digs, senior middle blocker Kate Brennan added 11 kills and led the Rebels in hitting efficiency with .455, senior setter Lauryn Burt had 22 assists for the Rebels followed by sophomore setter Arien Fafard with 19. Freshman Chloe Thomas added 10.5 points and nine kills and sophomore Gabrielle Arretche-Ramos had seven kills.

Boise State was led by Paige Bartsch's match-high 14 kills and match-high 17 points, Lauren Ohlinger's double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs, Alli O'Harra's 11 kills and 15.5 points and Danelle Boss's match-high 40 assists.

Although the Rebels did not come out on top, UNLV still outhit the Broncos .235 to .232 for the match and turned in 10 total blocks to Boise's seven. The match was a close one and had 23 total tie scores and 13 lead changes throughout. The Rebels led 25-19 in the first set.

The Broncos swept UNLV during the regular season, going the full five sets in both games.

OTHER NEWS & NOTES:

• UNLV came off a seven-match win streak heading into the final match of the 2021 Mountain West Volleyball Championships.

• Dating back to 2019, UNLV has gone 52-12 in its last 64 matches. The Rebels have won 23 of 32 this season and 21 of its last 28 after falling to the Broncos in the final game of the 2021 MW Volleyball Championships.

• 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).