LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV volleyball's Mariena Hayden was named Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) for the second consecutive season, the organization announced Wednesday. Hayden was also chosen to the AVCA's Pacific South All-Region Team and earned the Mountain West's Player of the Year Award earlier this season for back-to-back seasons (SPR 2021, Fall 2021).

The fifth-year senior Belle Plaine, Minnesota native earned this honor last season, making her now the only Rebel in program history to be honored for two consecutive seasons. Lauren Miramontes is the only other Rebel to earn the AVCA All-America accolades, when she guided UNLV to a Mountain West Championship title and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007.

The outside hitter led the Rebels to a first place finish in the 2021 Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC), earning the first national championship title in program history with a three set sweep over Valparaiso University Sunday night. Hayden also led the Scarlet & Gray to a second place finish at the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship, earning them a ticket to the NIVC and the Rebels' fourth consecutive postseason tournament. She collected nine double-doubles this season and also recorded 30 double-figure kill matches, which included a career-high 30 vs. Wyoming (Oct. 21). She also notched 14 matches with a .300 or better hitting efficiency, including a .491 effort against Wyoming (Oct. 21). She had at least one ace in 29 matches and had four or more in eight of those contests. Defensively, she had eight or more digs in 21 outings and chipped in 44 total blocks.

Hayden currently leads the nation in aces per set (.65) and service aces (83), she ranks 12th in total kills with 501, 24th in points per set (4.93) and 41st in total attacks with 1291.

OTHER NEWS & NOTES:

• UNLV's 28 victories in 2021 mark the best single-season record in program history.

• The 2021 NIVC Championship title is the first postseason championship title earned in program history.

• After Sunday's three set match, Lauryn Burt and Arien Fafard are still tied for first in the program's single-season record book for sets played, with each sitting at 139. Kate Brennan sits in second with 138 sets played, Chloe Thomas sits third overall with 136 sets for the season, Shelby Capllonch has the fourth spot with 134, Jordyn Freeman has fifth (133) and Mariena Hayden is now sixth with 130 sets for the season.

• Kate Brennan earned a spot at the top of the program's record book for season-high hitting efficiency with .378.

• Jordyn Freeman is now third in the program's single season record book for total blocks (165) and fifth for assisted blocks (141).

• Brennan, Fafard, Freeman, Burt and Shelby Capllonch are now tied for fourth in the program's single season record book for matches played with 37 each.

• Mariena Hayden knocked her second place 2019 program record for single-season service aces (70) to third with 83 service aces claiming second. Hayden also moved up to fifth in total attempts for a single-season with 1,247 and is now third for kills with 513 in the program's single-season record book.

• Dating back to 2019, UNLV has gone 57-12 in its last 69 matches. The Rebels have won 28 of 36 this season and 26 of its last 32.

• The Rebels will return the bulk of this year's squad next season except its four seniors Milica Tasic, Lauryn Burt, Kate Brennan and Mariena Hayden.

• 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).