DALLAS, TEXAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV women's golf team opened play at the SMU's Trinity Forest Invitational Monday on a day that saw hail, clouds and chilly weather at an already challenging course at Trinity Forest Golf Club (par 72, 6460). The Rebels finished the first round in a tie for seventh, then ended the day in a tie for fifth at 34-over with a handful of holes left as play was suspended due to darkness.

Senior Veronica Joels shot a 4-over 76 in round one and sits in a tie for ninth at 6-over with one hole left to play in the second round. Reigning Mountain West Golfer and Freshman of the Week Kendall Todd bounced back from an 9-over 81 in round one to shoot a 1-under 71 in round two to sit tied for 17th at 8-over, followed by freshman Toa Yokoyama in a tie for 23rd at 9-over with two holes to play in round two. Freshman Sydney Bryan finished both rounds and is tied for 32nd at 11-over, while junior Nicole Lorup is at 11-over in a tie for 55th.

Texas Tech is atop the leaderboard at 19-over, holding a 12-shot lead over second place New Mexico at 31-over. Tulsa is in third at 32-over, followed by South Florida in fourth at 33-over and UNLV and Texas State tied for fifth at 34-over. New Mexico State's Allison Gastelum and Tulsa's Lovisa Gunnar are tied for first at 2-under with three others tied for third at 2-over.

UP NEXT: The Rebels will finish the second round starting at 8 a.m. CT Tuesday morning and the final round will start immediately after the field has finished round two.

NOTES:
• Rebels have won three of their last five tournaments and finished at par or better in five straight, a new program record
• UNLV has shot under par as a team in eight of its last 16 rounds in 2021-22
• UNLV opened the spring campaign winning its home tournament, The Show, by 13 strokes at 4-under 860 at Spanish Trail Country Club
• UNLV won two tournaments during the fall portion of its season for the first time in program history (Dale McNamara & The Clash at Boulder Creek)
• UNLV shot an 8-under 280 in the final round of the fall (eighth lowest all-time) and opened the spring with a 12-under 276 at The Show (T-3rd lowest all-time) 
• The Rebels won the 2021 Dale McNamara Invitational Oct 11-12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma by 11 strokes, marking first tournament win since 2019 (Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown); Three Rebels finished in the top six with freshman Sydney Bryan winning her first collegiate tournament at 4-under 212
• UNLV finished at 3-under at the Jim West Invitational, marking the first time the Rebels finished under par in back-to-back tournaments since the spring of 2017
• UNLV has six returners from last year's squad and welcomed seven newcomers to the squad this year, including six freshmen
• Marissa Uradomo, a four-time MVC All-Conference golfer at Indiana State, joined Bush-Herzer's staff as an assistant coach in September of 2021
• Head coach Amy Bush-Herzer is in her 11th year at the helm of the program. She has led her team to a conference championship four times.