LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV volleyball opened the Players Era Volleyball Showcase against the nation's top-ranked team Saturday night, falling to No. 1 Nebraska, 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-16), at T-Mobile Arena in front of 8,878 fans.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Rebels (0-1) battled the top-ranked Cornhuskers (1-0) throughout the opening match of the two-day showcase but were unable to overcome Nebraska's offensive attack. The Cornhuskers hit .337 as a team while holding UNLV to a .054 hitting percentage. Nebraska established control early, taking the opening set 25-18. In the first set, UNLV bounced back after being down 12-5 to go on a 5-0 run with a Rheanna Deen-Jackson kill and a pair of back-to-back Cami Christiansen kills. The Cornhuskers carried that momentum into the second set, again winning by a 10-point margin before closing out the match with a 25-16 victory in the third.
Junior outside hitter Jaida Harris led the Rebels offensively with four kills on nine attacks, hitting .333, while adding two service aces for six points. Christiansen paced UNLV with six kills on 16 swings and finished with a .125 hitting percentage. Basia Latos added five kills and one assist while also recording a team-high 29 total attempts. Jada Ingram contributed three kills on eight attacks, while Deen-Jackson finished with two kills and a solo block. Defensively, Caleigh King led the Rebels with eight digs, while Kamryn Scroggins recorded 17 assists and four digs.
Nebraska was led by Harper Murray, who recorded a match-high 11 kills on 22 attacks, while Andi Jackson and Teraya Sigler each added eight kills. Jackson hit .600 for the match, while Sigler hit .467. Bergen Reilly was highly efficient offensively, recording five kills on six attacks (.833) while distributing 32 assists and 10 digs for a double-double. The Cornhuskers also held a significant advantage at the net, recording 20 blocks compared to three for the Scarlet & Gray.
UP NEXT: The Rebels will close out the Players Era Volleyball Showcase on Sunday, August 30 at 3 pm against No. 18 TCU on FS1.
