LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV volleyball team heads to Arizona for the first and second rounds of the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The Scarlet & Gray earned an at-large bid into the 31-team postseason tournament and will open play against the New Mexico State Aggies Friday afternoon at the McKale Memorial Center. The winner of the UNLV-NMSU affair will advance to Saturday's second-round contest to face the victor of Friday night's first-round battle between the UTRGV Vaqueros and host Arizona Wildcats.

This will be the fourth consecutive season that the Rebels have continued postseason play and the third time in program history that they will be participating in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. UNLV advanced to the semifinals back in 2018, but lost in four sets (29-31, 19-25, 25-13, 24-26) to the eventual champion Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. In 2019, the Rebels fell to the South Dakota Coyotes in the second round of the NIVC in three sets (22-25, 19-25, 18-25).

NIVC SCHEDULE (ARIZONA REGIONAL)
Friday
2:00 p.m. (PT) UNLV vs. New Mexico State
5:00 p.m. (PT) Arizona vs. UTRGV

Saturday
3:00 p.m. (PT) UNLV/NMSU vs. UA/UTRGV Winners

TUNE IN, WATCH & LISTEN
Fans can follow this week's NIVC matches through live stats, live video and social media. Links to live stats and live video can be found online at UNLVRebels.com in the "schedule" section of the team's volleyball page, as well as on the team's official social media channels. 

MOUNTAIN WEST SENDS THREE TO POSTSEASON PLAY
In addition to UNLV, Colorado State will also represent the MW in the NIVC. Boise State is the lone MW squad in the NCAA Tournament and will face No. 11 BYU in Provo, Utah Friday, Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

NIVC NOTES
- Arizona is the only program of the four playing in Arizona to enter this week's action on a winning note. UTRGV and New Mexico State (Western Athletic Conference) both suffered losses in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament, while UNLV fell in the championship round of the Mountain West Tournament.
- Only two teams of the four in Arizona have played each other this season, with Arizona defeating New Mexico State (3-0) Aug. 27 at the McKale Center for the Cactus Classic and again Sep. 3 (3-2) at New Mexico State for the Springhill Suites Invitational.
- The Arizona bracket is paired with the Stephen F. Austin bracket, which consists of Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas and Jackson State. Arkansas has a BYE for the first round and will automatically play in the second round.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
New Mexico State: The Aggies concluded regular season with a 19-9 overall record and finished second in the Western Athletic Conference behind an 18-9 mark... The Aggies lost their last outing in five sets to Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament.. The Aggies have lost two of their last three matches; however they had won three of the last five prior to this current stretch... New Mexico State is led by All-WAC First Team selections Katie Birtchil, Lia Mosher and Shaney Lipscomb, and Second Teamer Carly Aigner-Swesey.

UT Rio Grande Valley: The Vaqueros concluded regular season with a 17-10 overall record and finished fourth in the WAC behind another 17-10 mark... The Vaqueros lost their last outing in four sets to Grand Canyon in the WAC Tournament quarterfinals... Prior to the WAC Tournament the Vaqueros had won three of their last four... UTRGV is led by All-WAC First Team outside hitter Sarah Cruz and All-WAC Second Team and All-Freshman Team setter Luanna Emiliano.

Arizona: The Wildcats concluded regular season with a 16-15 overall record and finished eighth in the Pac-12 Conference behind a 15-15 mark... The Wildcats won their last outing of regular season against Arizona State in a three set sweep... The Wildcats had lost six of their previous seven matches before the victory over the Sun Devils... Arizona is led by Pac-12 All-Freshman Team opposite Puk Stubbe and All-Pac-12 honorable mentions Kamaile Hiapo and Sofia Maldonado Diaz.