LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Following a sweep of the San Jose State Spartans, UNLV's senior outside hitter Mariena Hayden was named the Mountain West's Offensive Player of the Week. It's the fifth time Hayden has been recognized for the conference's weekly award.
 
The native of Belle Plaine, Minnesota, registered one double-double in the two-match series against the Spartans, while hitting .444 with a team-high 38 kills to average 5.43 kills per set. In UNLV's 3-1 win on March 20, she combined a match-high 22 kills and team-best 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season and 51st of her career. She also added four aces and one assisted block in that contest. One day later, on March 21, she was the only player in the match to reach double figures in kills, throwing down 16 to go along with six digs, one ace and one assisted block in the 3-0 victory.
 
Additionally, Hayden became only the third Rebel in program history to record 1,400 career kills Saturday. She entered the match only needing one to reach the milestone and she managed to throw down 16 in the match to have 1,415, to date.
 
NOTES:
-Dating back to the 2019 campaign, UNLV has now won 25 of its last 27 matches – the best run through 27 matches in program history.
-With Saturday's win, UNLV improved to 9-0 for only the second time in program history, joining the 2016 squad which started that season 11-0.
-UNLV sits first atop the Mountain West at 9-0 (1.000) standings, while Boise State (10-3/.769) and Wyoming (8-4/.667) are second and third, respectively, heading into week eight of the Spring 2021 season.
 
UP NEXT: The Rebels hit the road this week with matches in the Golden State and the northern portion of the Silver State. UNLV will face Fresno State in Fresno, California, Thursday (5:00 pm). Two days later, the Scarlet & Gray heads to Reno to face UNR in a contest – Saturday at 1:00 pm – which has implications towards the standings of the Silver State Series presented by IBEW and Nevada Donor Network.