UNLV roundup: Lady Rebels picked to place second in league

The UNLV women’s basketball team was predicted to finish second in the Mountain West in the league’s preseason poll, the Lady Rebels’ highest projected finish since 2004-05.

UNLV garnered four first-place votes and 208 points, bettered only by Boise State’s 19 first-place votes and 229 points. Fresno State (175) was picked to place third in the 11-team league.

Wyoming (158) was picked to finish fourth, followed by New Mexico (150), Colorado State (128), UNR (115), Utah State (86), San Diego State (64), Air Force (57) and San Jose State (27).

Senior center Katie Powell, who averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 2017-18, was one of five players selected to the preseason All-Mountain West team, the first Lady Rebel to gain preseason league honors since Jamie Smith in 2011-12.

The rest of the all-league team includes Boise State junior guard Riley Lupfer (the preseason player of the year), Boise State senior guard Marta Hermida, Fresno State senior guard Candice White and New Mexico senior center Jaisa Nunn.

Boise State guard Jade Loville was named the preseason freshman of the year and Colorado State guard Mollie Mounsey the newcomer of the year.

Voting on the preseason poll and all-conference team were all 11 coaches and select media members.

VOLLEYBALL

At Reno, Mariena Hayden had 20 kills and 16 digs to help the Rebels outlast UNR 3-2 in a Mountain West match.

Antonette Rolda had 41 assists and eight digs and Kate Brennan 10 kills for UNLV (17-8, 8-5), which won by scores of 18-25, 25-23, 26-24, 17-25, 15-7.

Kayla Afoa had 15 kills and eight digs and Sam Hayward 14 kills for the Wolf Pack (8-16, 1-12), who lost their ninth straight match.

Dalyn Burns had 23 assists and seven digs and Mo Maluotoga 21 digs for UNR.

BASEBALL

At Wilson Stadium, Jake McLean went 2-for-3 with a walk and a go-ahead RBI single in a three-run sixth inning that lifted the Scarlet to a 3-2 victory in the Scarlet & Gray World Series opener.

McLean’s first hit, a fifth-inning single, was the first allowed by the Gray, which went up 2-0 in the second on RBI hits by James Gamble and Garrett Giles.

Haydn King was the winning pitcher after throwing a scoreless fifth, with three strikeouts, while allowing one hit.