UNLV came closer than it had all season to breaking through.
The Rebels pushed North Dakota State to five sets Saturday at Bronco Gym before falling 25-21, 15-25, 25-21, 15-25, 14-16 to close the Boise State Classic.
UNLV dropped to 0-5, but this one looked different from the previous losses. The Rebels won two sets, hit .176 for the match and stayed within one swing late in the fifth before North Dakota State scored the final two points.
The fifth set was tied 14-14 before the Bison closed it out 16-14.
Best stretches come in Sets 1 and 3
UNLV played its cleanest volleyball in the sets it won.
The Rebels hit .263 in the first set with 13 kills and only three attack errors, then took the third 25-21 while hitting .222.
Both sets showed what UNLV can look like when the offense stays balanced and the error count remains under control.
The fourth set went the other direction. UNLV committed eight attack errors and hit .049 as North Dakota State forced the deciding fifth.
From there, the margin was almost nonexistent. UNLV hit .250 in the final set, slightly better than North Dakota State’s .241, but the Bison made the last two plays.
Latos, Harris carry the attack
Basia Latos carried a significant share of UNLV’s offense Saturday.
The junior outside hitter finished with 17 kills, 12 digs and three blocks while hitting .220. Jaida Harris added 13 kills, 10 digs, three blocks and two service aces for a double-double.
Jada Ingram gave the Rebels important efficiency through the middle, finishing with six kills on 14 attacks and only one error for a .357 hitting percentage. She also had six blocks, including one solo.
Kamryn Scroggins directed the offense with a season-high 37 assists and added 12 digs.
Freshman Arrie Brown continued to make an impact in the back row with a match-high 20 digs.
UNLV finished with 66 digs, four aces and nine team blocks. North Dakota State had 70 digs, seven aces and also finished with nine team blocks.
The biggest offensive difference came in kill volume. The Bison finished with 62 kills to UNLV’s 51.
Arianna Blohm was the problem UNLV never fully solved. She finished with 23 kills on 46 attacks while hitting .435.
Up next
UNLV now heads to Northridge, California, for The Ridge Invitational.
The Rebels open against host CSUN on Friday at 6 p.m. PT, then face Fresno State on Saturday at 1 p.m. before closing the weekend against San Francisco on Sunday at 11 a.m.
UNLV is still searching for its first win, but Saturday was the clearest sign yet that the Rebels are getting closer.
The next step is finishing the match when the opportunity is there.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
