France’s Elsa Descamps looking more at home with UNLV Volleyball

UNLV middle blocker Elsa Descamps didn’t lay eyes on campus until her move-in day.

Any college tour would’ve been tricky because the sophomore from Toulouse, France, would’ve needed to get on a plane for up to 20 hours to reach Nevada.

She was received by a big welcoming committee upon arriving in Las Vegas though, as the entire team showed up to help move her into her dorm room. One year later Descamps is looking more and more at home on campus and on the volleyball court, as she is leading the Rebels in blocks (32) and hitting percentage (.414) during their 6-0 start.

“I knew that last year I was not special on the court. When I came I knew I wouldn’t start and I wanted to work a lot to gain my spot,” Descamps said. “All the work I did last season and this spring too helped me improve and play well now.”

Descamps said she thought about playing college volleyball for a while in the U.S. before enrolling in UNLV. She started playing for France’s Junior National Team in 2012 but if she wanted to play for a French club post-high school she would need to choose between volleyball and academics.

“In France, you cannot do both at the same time at the high level,” Descamps said. “In the United States you can do both at the same time and you don’t have to choose.”

She said she talked to five colleges before making her decision, from all over the U.S. She made contact with schools in New York, Florida, Texas and of course Nevada before ultimately settling on UNLV.

What ultimately made the Rebels stick out was they offered a program to help her work on her English. Descamps learned basic English in high school but knew she needed extra help to live in the U.S. full-time.

As she transitioned to living in the U.S. she was also eased onto the volleyball court, appearing in 55 sets as a freshman and totaling 63 kills. Through six matches her sophomore year, she’s on pace to blow those numbers away.

Descamps has 58 kills this season in only 20 sets, and her improved play is already starting to receive recognition. She was named the Moutain West Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 29 after putting up at least 10 kills in each of UNLV’s first three matches.

She credited her team with helping her achieve the award, the same team that welcomed a newcomer by helping her get her dorm room set up. It was a small gesture, but something Descamps wouldn’t expect to happen in France.

“The team is a very big thing (at UNLV). In France, we are a team but not as much as here,” Descamps said. “I’m just happy to be a part of this team.”

MORE VOLLEYBALL

The Rebels will host a midweek exhibition game on Wednesday against the Shandong China Junior Team in the Cox Pavilion.

Shandong, which consists of players ranging from 17- to 20-years old, is in the midst of a two-week tour through the United States.

The team swept UT-San Antonio on Aug. 30 and also played St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

CROSS COUNTRY

UNLV finished fifth in its first meet of the season, the George Kyte Classic at Northern Arizona on Saturday.

The Rebels had 121 points, while first-place Arizona State had 29. Spencer Moore was the first UNLV runner to cross the finish line, taking 19th with a time of 16:58.6.

UNLV’s next meet is the UC Riverside Invitational in Riverside, Calif. on Sept. 17.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The Rebels suffered their first defeat of the season Friday after opening the year with a four-game winning streak.

Utah Valley scored two first-half goals to defeat UNLV 2-1, with senior forward Lily Sender getting the team’s lone goal. After finishing the weekend at Southern Utah, the Rebels with prepare for an upcoming one-match weekend.

UNLV heads to the University of California — Santa Barbara on Sept. 11, giving the team five road games in its first nine matches.

MEN’S SOCCER

After hosting its first home games this weekend as part of the Johann Memorial Classic, UNLV will travel out to California to play Pacific and Saint Mary’s on Sept. 9 and Sept. 11, respectively.

The team also has its alumni game on Sept. 17 and the Guns & Hoses Game (Police-Fire Department) the same day.

Ben Gotz is a sports reporter for the Las Vegas Review Journal. Contact him at bgotz@reviewjournal.com or follow him on Twitter @BenSGotz