LAS VEGAS - The opener of the weekend Silver State Series between Nevada and UNLV went the way of the Rebels Thursday, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-11).
UNLV (7-11, 3-4) hit .295 for the night with Jaida Harris putting down a match-high 14 kills at a .367 clip. For the Wolf Pack (5-12, 3-4 MW)
Paige Thies was the top hitter with 10 kills at a .292 clip while
Madison Long was next with nine kills.
Nevada was playing catch up much of the match, fighting back to even on multiple occasions in the first and second stanzas but letting UNLV pull away. In the first, the Pack fought back from an early 7-3 hole to tie it up at 10-10 in a run which included three kills from Thies. But the Rebels immediately scored four-straight, starting a 10-3 run towards a 25-18 first-set decision.
UNLV jumped out to another early lead in the second and held an 18-13 advantage before Nevada drew even. Rebel miscues along with blocks from Long and
Ceren Sert led to five points in a row for the Pack to make it 18-18. But, just as in the first set, UNLV escaped. The Rebels took a 23-20 lead and held off a late Wolf Pack rally to take the second, 25-22.
After Nevada took a 2-0 lead in the third it was all UNLV. The Rebels went on a 10-1 run on the way to a 25-11 match-clinching decision.
The teams close the weekend series Saturday at 1 p.m.
