Rebels field deep roster, take aim on NCAA volleyball tourney

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 1999 | 11:08 a.m.

In less than 72 hours, the UNLV volleyball team will open the 1999 season against the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the Official All-Star Cafe/UNLV Volleyball Classic.

The only problem is, Rebels head coach Deitre Collins has no idea which players she will start in the 2 p.m. contest at Lied Gymnasium.

"That's a nice problem to have," Collins said. "We got four transfers this year -- two who will have an immediate impact -- and we have nine players coming back. We're so deep this year that I have no idea who is starting Friday."

Among the new faces Collins will have to work with this fall include transfers Shannon Chase (a freshman outside hitter/defensive specialist from Colorado State); Alicia Erickson (a sophomore middle blocker from Washington State); Oge Fitz (a sophomore outside hitter from Cal State Fullerton); and Maria Julia Goes (a sophomore setter from National American University).

Collins, who is in her fourth season as the Rebels' head coach, said she hopes this year's team will continue the improvement her three previous teams showed after the program was resurrected following an 11-year hiatus.

And that means qualifying for the NCAA Tournament -- something in which the Rebels weren't picked to participate last season despite a 23-8 record and a second-place finish in the tough Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division.

"The whole team is extremely focused on making the NCAAs this year," Collins said. "They did everything that I asked of them last year and it still didn't happen.

"We know some things that we have to get better at -- we have to play better on the road this year ... and we had to strengthen our (preseason) schedule, which we did."

Among the returning players Collins expects to lead the Rebels in their first season in the Mountain West Conference are all-WAC selections Angie Sylvas, a senior outside hitter, and Justine Kamelamela, a junior outside hitter.

Sylvas led the Rebels in kills per game and digs per game last season while Kamelamela was second in kills per game and third in digs per game. Also returning are seniors Christel Eves, Danielle Gerlach, Jeanette Graves and Kendra Wilkinson; junior Ana Ramos; and sophomores Nora Bernson and Amber Graham.

So far, Collins said she has been pleased with what she has seen from her players during practice and intrasquad games.

"I'm very satisfied with where we are going into the season," Collins said. "They all have come in playing harder than they've ever played. I think a lot of them have raised their level and we can't wait to put it on the court."

UNLV will open this weekend's round-robin tournament at 2 p.m. Friday against UMKC while Iowa State playes Southern Illinois at 5 p.m. The Rebels then will play Iowa State at 8 p.m. Friday.

Saturday's action will have Southern Illinois meeting UMKC at noon; UMKC will play Iowa State at 3 p.m.; and UNLV will close the tournament against SIU at 6 p.m.