Melody Nua returned to UNLV - her alma mater - in February 2018 as an original member of head coach Dawn Sullivan's coaching staff, following a one-year stint as Loyola Marymount's director of operations. Nua was a four-year letterwinner and the Rebels starting setter from 2005-08.
Nua's responsibilities include running the offense and working with the setters as well as assisting in recruiting efforts and summer camps. Additionally, she is responsible for the team's mindset warmup and journals, and running the team's book club and organizing player development opportunities - building the whole Rebel and not just the athlete.
Furthermore, Nua was a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's 2018 Diversity Award, which provides the opportunity for up-and-coming ethnic minority volleyball coaches, and has been a member of the UNLV Athletic Department's Inclusion Committee.
In three years on the Rebel sideline, Nua has helped the program amass a total of 55 wins and back-to-back-to-back trips to the postseason, participating in the 2018 and '19 National Invitational Volleyball Championship and the 2020 NCAA Volleyball Championship.
Serving as Sullivan's assistant the past three seasons, Nua has been part of the fastest coaching staff in program history to 50 wins, doing so in only 73 tries. The 43 victories during the 2018 and 2019 seasons were the most in that time frame for any coaching staff at UNLV. Additionally, the 22- and 20-win totals from 2018 and 2019, respectively, matched the most 20-win seasons by a Rebel head coach, tying Allison Keeley (2004-10) and Cindy Frederick (2011-17).
In three seasons, she has helped Mariena Hayden become the program's first conference player of the year and only the second Rebel to be named to an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and AVCA Pacific South All-Region Team selection. Moreover, Hayden has also become only the fourth Rebel to be tabbed an all-conference team performer three straight years.
Additionally, Kate Brennan had been an All-MW Honorable Mention selection in both 2018 and '19; however, she was elevated to the all-conference team in 2020. Macy Smith also was named to the All-MW Team, while Shelby Capllonch was Honorable Mention.
During the Spring 2021 season, the Rebels had their best start in program history (13-0) and tied the longest win streak, as well, at 13 matches, capping the successful run with a NCAA Tournament First Round victory over Illinois State. The Rebels were eliminated in the Second Round by the eventual national champion and No. 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats.
The Scarlet & Gray ended the 2020-21 season ranked as high as sixth in the country in hitting percentage (.298) and was also seventh in winning percentage (.929) and 11th in aces per set (1.92). Individually, Hayden was first overall in aces per set (0.86), third in service aces (42), sixth in points per set (5.43) and seventh in triple doubles (one).
UNLV earned the MW's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after it went a perfect 12-0 and claimed the first conference regular-season title in program history. The Rebels only managed to play one five-set match - Feb. 26 vs. Boise State, while the seven ended in sweeping fashion and four were completed in four sets. Moreover, the squad won its last four regular-season contests in straight sets.
In Nua's first season on the sideline, she helped the Rebels to an overall record of 22-12 and a fifth-place finish (10-8) in the Mountain West. The team earned an at-large berth in the NIVC and advanced to the semifinals after it defeated UC Irvine, Fresno State and Portland. Coincidentally, the final match of the year took place against her old squad, the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa.
Delving deeper, those 22 wins in 2018 helped UNLV post a plus-14-win differential from the previous season’s eight-win haul, which marked the largest improvement by an NCAA Division squad that season.
The Rebels concluded the year ranked in the top 100 of eight different NCAA statistical categories, such as: first in aces (251), third in aces per set (1.93), 38th in team kills (1,655), 61st in team assists (1,526), 66th in hitting percentage (.235), 67th in team total attacks (4,369), 80th in winning percentage (.647) and 99th in team digs (1,827).
Individually, Hayden led the NCAA in aces (114) and aces per set (0.90) and finished the year second overall in points (690.0), fifth in points per set (5.43) and 10th in total kills (543). Hayden's 114 aces were not only a UNLV single-season record, but they were the third most recorded by an NCAA student-athlete since the 25-point scoring format was adopted in 2008.
Sullivan's staff, which included assistant coach Ariel Apolinario, earned their first win against Southern Utah, a 3-0 sweep of the Thunderbirds, during the season-opening UNLV Invitational on Aug. 24. With the addition of 21 more triumphs, they became the second-winningest first-year staff in program history with 22.
In 2019, UNLV began the season slowly with a 4-9 showing before it turned things around with a nine-match win streak that evolved into a run of 16 wins in 18 contests to finish to the campaign. In all, the Rebels went 20-11 overall and finished third in the MW behind a 15-3 mark.
After starting the year with a pair of losses to Wyoming and then-No. 17 Colorado State, UNLV began 16-2 stretch with a 3-1 win at San Diego State, which was the catalyst to rewriting four single-season records: 15 conference wins, eight conference wins, eight-match road win streak and eight-match conference road win streak.
Statistically speaking, UNLV was ranked in the top 100 in nine categories: second in aces (241), fifth in aces per set (1.88), 21st in team kills (1,688) and team assists (1,568), 52nd in team total attacks (4,358), 71st in hitting percentage (.233), 79th in winning percentage (.645), 83rd in assists per set (12.25) and 85th in kills per set (13.19).
Once again, Hayden excelled under the staff's tutelage, finishing the 2019 campaign first in aces per set (0.69), third in service aces (70), 39th in points per set (4.70), 78th in kills per set (3.76) and 80th in points (479.5) despite missing time due to an injury.
At LMU, Nua helped coordinate travel, managed the team’s social media accounts and helped scouts when needed.
As a Rebel, Nua lettered all four seasons and helped the team to a 2007 Mountain West Championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. She was a two-time All-MW Team performer in 2007 and 2008, and was selected to the MW’s 2007 All-Tournament Team. She left her name etched in UNLV’s career record book in five different categories, including first in assists (4,797) and fourth in both matches played (120) and sets played (442). Additionally, she owns two of the best single-season performances in assists, as she ranks second and third with 1,433 in 2007 and 1,372 in 2005.
Upon graduation with a degree in kinesiology from UNLV in 2009, Nua began coaching at the club and high school level. From 2010-12, her teams at Desert Elite and Club Vegas combined for a 45-4 overall record. The Long Beach, California, native moved back to the Golden State and coached Los Alamitos High School’s JV squad in 2012-13 to a pair of top-two finishes in Sunset League play. From 2014-16, she served as the head coach at Valley Christian High School (Cerritos) and led the team to a league title in 2016.
Nua has also been associated with the Seal Beach Volleyball Club coaching two teams per season dating back to 2012. Most recently, her 12-1 Division 2 team finished ninth overall in the Southern Cal region, while her 16-1 team qualified first in USA and finished 3rd in Chicago at the Windy City qualifier. During the 2015-16 season, her 16-1 squad took third in the Southern Cal region and earned a bid to the USA Nationals in the open division with a fifth-place showing, while her 18-1 team finished in Division 2 and 13th at AAU.
Nua made the leap to the collegiate level in 2013 when she joined Golden West College’s indoor and beach coaching staffs. At the Huntington Beach institution, she helped the indoor squad to a 41-20 overall mark with one trip to the state semifinals. In beach competition, the 2016 team won the Orange Empire Conference after two straight years of second-place finishes. The 2014 and 2015 teams concluded their seasons in third place at the state finals.
