REBELS OPEN MOUNTAIN WEST SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND
X: @UNLVvball | IG: @unlvvball | Schedule
The UNLV volleyball team (7-4) kick off the second half of their schedule this upcoming weekend, opening their first of 18 matches against Mountain West opponents away from Las Vegas.
The Scarlet & Gray will first take the road to Albuquerque, N.M. for the first of two matches this week, facing off against the New Mexico Lobos on Thursday, Sept. 26. That match is set to start at 5:30 p.m. PT, then the second of two matches in the weekend starting at 12 p.m. PT. The latter match will be against Air Force, the Rebels continuing east to USAF Academy, Colo., on Saturday, Sept. 28.
UNLV will aim to start the Mountain West schedule on a high note, closing out the nonconference schedule last weekend in Los Angeles. The Rebels saw a handful of highlights, including a 3-2 win over UC San Diego to open the Trojans / Lions Invitational.
The Rebels have opened the 2024 season with a shared offense, providing plenty of opportunities through a depth of student-athletes on the roster. Rebel newcomers such as Rheanna Deen-Jackson, Basia Latos and Alondra Alarcon have opened up the slate of options for second-year head coach Malia Shoji, all three aforementioned athletes appearing in 24 or more sets this season of the team’s 43. Deen-Jackson and Alarcon have provided strong points on the defense, the former averaging 0.98 blocks per set as a true freshman while the latter owns eight or more digs in four of the last five matches and a team-high .970 reception percentage on the season (minimum 100 receptions). Latos has been a great option for the outside hitters, picking up a career-high three kills-per-set mark in the team’s last outing against LMU.
The UNLV veterans have pushed the defense to a top program among the conference and their NCAA Division I peers, ranking inside the top-50 among NCAA DI programs in team total blocks (109) this season at 45th. Jordyn Freeman leads the team in blocks per set and total blocks during the 2024 season, ranking 34th and 22nd, respectively. The roster boasts four student-athletes with a kills-per-set average of at least 2.50 or more, Chloe Thomas coming off a team-leading 33 kills in the Rebels’ previous weekend of play. Dakota Quinlan currently leads the program with 3.04 points per set. Sophomore libero Caleigh King currently holds a five-match streak of double-digit digs, totaling nine matches and an average of 3.3 digs per set this season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS:
New Mexico (7-3)
The Lobos pace the Mountain West Conference in a few statistical categories, owning the no. 1-spot in digs per set at 16.46. Falanika Danielson owns a large share of New Mexico’s digs, ranking third during the nonconference season at 4.13 digs per set. New Mexico holds the top spot as well on total team attacks this year, averaging 36.15 attacks per set. Sophomore Madeleine Miller controls the offense as the Lobos‘ main setter, pushing 7.74 assists per set. The Lobos are coming off two wins last weekend against New Mexico State, winning 3-1 at home and 3-0 in Las Cruces, N.M.
Air Force (1-10)
The Falcons have also put the pressure on opposing defenses so far this season, ranking third in the Mountain West in team attacks per set at 34.91. Ella Tschuor heads the Air Force offense with a 2.31 kills per set average, totaling a team-high 81 kills across 35 sets played. Jordan Suan has cemented the top spot on the roster and top-four listing in digs per set during the nonconference season, averaging 3.97 per set, including double-digit marks in nine of their last 10 matches. The Falcons will come off of hosting San Diego State two days prior.
WHERE TO WATCH:
Both matches for UNLV will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, which can be found here as well as links to the matches’ tickets, livestats, etc. Fans can also follow along on the team’s social media accounts: Twitter / X, Instagram and Facebook. News and updates on the Rebels will also be posted online at UNLVrebels.com.