LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) –  The UNLV volleyball team enters the 2021 season right where it left off following its successful run to the Mountain West regular-season title and a second-round appearance at the NCAA Championship in the spring with a mention in the "receiving votes" category of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Top 25 Poll.

The Rebels, who concluded the Spring 2021 campaign just outside the top 25 at No. 27, accumulated 33 points in the AVCA's Preseason Poll to place 31st overall in the survey released Monday. UNLV sits behind USC (105), Creighton (69), Missouri (51), Hawai'i (47) and LSU (41), who make up No. 26 through No. 30, respectively.

After a 4-0 start to the Spring 2021 season following sweeps of San Diego State and Colorado State in conference play, UNLV began to receive votes in the Feb. 22 poll – tied with Bowling Green for 35th. In all, the Rebels were mentioned in seven straight polls, including  a season-high No. 26 on March 29 and April 5.

The Rebels have only been ranked in the top 25 twice, with both instances occurring during the 2007 campaign (Nov. 5 and Nov. 12). In all, UNLV received votes for 13 consecutive weeks that season, cracking the top 25 those two instances en route to a MW Championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

PRESEASON POLL NOTES: UNLV will face three squads who are ranked in the AVCA's Preseason Poll, and all will take place consecutively. This stretch begins with a road match at No. 15 BYU on Aug. 28 at the dŌTERRA Classic in Provo, Utah, and continues with back-to-back home affairs at the Cox Pavilion in the Rebel Challenge against No. 8 Purdue and No. 18 Washington State on Sept. 2 and Sept. 4, respectively.

EXHIBITION MATCH: UNLV will host Northern Arizona in an exhibition match Saturday (Aug. 21) at the Cox Pavilion. First serve between the Rebels and Lumberjacks is scheduled for 1:00 pm. Additionally, fans planning on attending the free event must follow Clark County guidelines and wear masks indoors.

2021 SEASON: The reigning Mountain West champions and NCAA Championship second-round participants will play a total of 29 regular-season matches over a four-month span that begins later this month and stretches into late November.
 
The first four weeks of competition will see the Rebels participate in four tournaments – three of which will be away from the friendly confines of the Cox Pavilion – and face 11-straight nonconference opponents before playing 18 consecutive matches against MW foes over a nine-week stretch. MW action will run Sept. 23 through Nov. 20, with the Rebels playing home-and-home series against eight conference foes and single affairs against both Wyoming (home on Oct. 21) and Colorado State (road on Oct. 23).
 
In a nod to the past, the MW has brought back the conference tournament after a 10-year absence, with UNLV hosting the three-day event (Nov. 24-26) on campus. The tourney originally ran for nine straight years, beginning with the conference's inaugural campaign in 1999 and concluding in the 2007 season – the last of three straight years it was held at UNLV. The tournament was brought back once in 2011, and it was contested in Albuquerque, N.M.
 
UNLV SEASON AND SINGLE-MATCH TICKETS: Season tickets for the fall campaign are now on sale and can be purchased through UNLVtickets.com or by calling 702-739-FANS (3267). The Scarlet & Gray will play 11 home matches at the Cox Pavilion with two vs. NCAA Tournament squads – Purdue and Washington State – in the Rebel Challenge as well as nine more in Mountain West play.
 
Season tickets are $50 for adults (13 and older), and $40 for active alumni, seniors, faculty and staff.
 
Tickets for single matches are also available, and start at $6 when purchased online and in-advance. All high school, middle school and elementary students are free under UNLV's admission policy.

Please note: Prices increase on all day of match purchases and walk-up sales.
 
RETURNING REBELS: UNLV returns nine letterwinners from the Spring 2021 squad, including MW Player of the Year Mariena Hayden and All-MW First Team performer Kate Brennan. Additionally, the Rebels welcome back Gabrielle Arretche-Ramos, Lauryn Burt, Shelby Capllonch, Arien Fafard, Jordyn Freeman, Paola Garcia and Paris Oliveira.
 
REBEL NEWCOMERS: The volleyball program has brought in eight newcomers this Fall, including six incoming freshmen - Keyana Cruse (Bonner Springs, Kansas/Bonner Springs HS), Dakota Quinlan (Cerritos, California/Valley Christian HS), Livvy Setla (Northville, Michigan/Northville HS), VaiLin Tagaloa (North Las Vegas/Shadow Ridge HS) and Chloe Thomas (Allen, Texas/Allen HS) - and a pair of international student-athletes, junior Isabel Martin (Mauerstetten, Bavaria, Germany) and senior Milica Tasic (Belgrade, Serbia).
 
REBEL NOTES:
-UNLV concluded the Spring 2021 season 13-1 overall and in the Second Round of the 2020 NCAA Championship. The Rebels defeated Illinois State, 3-1, in the First Round before they suffered a 3-0 defeat to eventual national champion Kentucky in the Second Round.
-UNLV won the Spring 2021 Mountain West regular-season title (12-0) and claimed the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
-UNLV's 13-0 start to the season – following the NCAA Tournament win over Illinois State – not only marked the best opening to a campaign in program history, but it also rewrote the program record for longest win streak. 
-Dating back to the 2019 campaign, UNLV has won 29 of its last 32 matches – the best run through 32 matches in program history.
-Mariena Hayden was named an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and was selected to the AVCA's Pacific South All-Region Team, too, after being chosen the Mountain West's Player of the Year.
-UNLV was well represented on the Spring 2021 All-MW Team, in addition to Hayden's MW's Player of the Year nod. Head coach Dawn Sullivan was named the MW's Coach of the Year, while middle blockers Kate Brennan and Macy Smith joined Hayden on the All-Conference Team. Outside hitter Shelby Capllonch was an Honorable Mention selection.