LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After being named the Mountain West's Player of the Year for back-to-back seasons, UNLV volleyball's Mariena Hayden was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's 2021 Pacific South All-Region Team for the second consecutive season.

Only three other Rebels have been recognized by the AVCA in program history - a total of seven times, but Hayden is the only Rebel to claim All-Region Team status twice during her career (SPR 2021). In 2007, Lauren Miramontes was chosen to the All-West Region Team; however, she was All-West Region Honorable Mention two years earlier in 2005. Camille Cunningham (2008) and Bree Hammel (2014 and 2016) were also All-Pacific South Honorable Mention.

The senior outside hitter also became the first Rebel in program history to earn a spot on the MW All-Conference team four times in a career (2018, 2019, SPR 2021, fall 2021), as well as earning MW Offensive Player of the Week on two occasions. Hayden currently ranks first in the nation for aces per set (.66) and service aces (79), she also ranks 23rd in points per set (4.97) and total kills (478) and ranks 50th in kills per set (3.98).

The Belle Plaine, Minnesota native led the Rebels to a second place finish at the 2021 MW Volleyball Championship, earning them a ticket to the Women's National Invitational Volleyball Championship and the Rebels' fourth consecutive postseason tournament. Hayden collected nine double-doubles this season and also recorded 28 double-figure kil matches, which included a career-high 30 vs. Wyoming (Oct. 21). She also notched 13 matches with a .300 or better hitting efficiency, including a .491 effort against Wyoming (Oct. 21). She had at least one ace in 27 matches and had four or more in eight of those contests. Defensively, she had eight or more digs in 19 outings and chipped in 39 total blocks.

Statistically speaking, UNLV led the MW in hitting percentage (.261) and kills (13.16) and was the runner-up in average blocks (2.47). UNLV's team kill total of 1698 ranks sixth nationally and the .261 hitting percentage ranks 27th.

NEXT FOR THE REBELS: The Rebels advance to the third round of NIVC to face Arkansas at the Memorial Gym at UTEP in El Paso, Texas on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. (PT).

OTHER NEWS & NOTES:

• UNLV's 25 victories in 2021 mark the ninth instance that a Rebel squad has hit the 20-win mark in program's history. The Rebels are one win away from tying the program record for season-high team wins from 2014 with 26.

• By virtue of playing in five sets Saturday, Lauryn Burt and Arien Fafard moved into a tie for second-place in the program's single-season record book for sets played, with each briefly sitting at 129 with Tuesday's match on deck. Kate Brennan tied for second with her own 2019 record of 128 sets played.

• Kate Brennan earned a spot at the top of the program's record book for season-high hitting efficiency with .374.

• Jordyn Freeman is now fourth in the program's single season record book for total blocks (147) and fifth for assisted blocks (133).

• Dating back to 2019, UNLV has gone 54-12 in its last 66 matches. The Rebels have won 25 of 34 this season and 23 of its last 30.

• 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).