UNLV did not need five sets this time.
The Rebels opened their home schedule Friday night with a 3-0 sweep of Southeastern Louisiana, winning 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 at The Pavilion to begin The Rebel Challenge.
UNLV improved to 2-7 and earned its first sweep of the season behind its most efficient offensive performance yet.
The Rebels hit .257 for the match, finishing with 44 kills against 18 attack errors. Southeastern Louisiana managed just 25 kills and hit .106.
After a stretch of three consecutive five-set matches, UNLV finally controlled one from start to finish.
Harris, Latos set the tone
Basia Latos again carried a large share of the offense, finishing with a match-high 13 kills, two aces and one solo block.
Jaida Harris was even cleaner.
The redshirt junior outside hitter had 12 kills on 22 swings with only three errors, good for a .409 hitting percentage. She also added two aces and five digs.
UNLV’s middle attack gave the Lions another problem.
Rheanna Deen-Jackson finished with seven kills on 14 swings and hit .429, while Jada Ingram had four kills on eight attacks without an error for a .500 hitting percentage.
That efficiency allowed graduate setter Kamryn Scroggins to keep the offense moving. Scroggins finished with 30 assists and also contributed four kills and two aces.
Rebels keep getting cleaner
The most encouraging part of the night was how UNLV’s offense improved as the match went along.
The Rebels hit .211 in the opening set, .276 in the second and .294 in the third. Southeastern Louisiana went the opposite direction, falling to .029 in the final frame.
UNLV also created pressure from the service line.
The Rebels finished with eight aces, twice Southeastern Louisiana’s total. Harris, Latos and Scroggins each had two, while Arrie Brown and Caleigh King added one apiece.
King anchored the floor defense with a match-high 13 digs. Brown added six and Harris finished with five as UNLV held a 34-30 advantage in digs.
The second set provided the closest test, but UNLV stayed composed late and closed it 25-22 before taking control of the third.
A needed home breakthrough
For a team that spent much of the first three weeks searching for consistency, Friday looked noticeably different.
UNLV did not have to survive a fifth set or chase the match from behind. The Rebels got production from both pins, efficiency through the middle and enough service pressure to keep Southeastern Louisiana from settling into its offense.
That balance gave UNLV its cleanest result of the season so far.
Up next
UNLV continues The Rebel Challenge on Saturday against UC Irvine at 2 p.m. PT at The Pavilion.
The Rebels then close the tournament Sunday against UC San Diego at 1 p.m. PT.
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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.
