UNLV notebook: Rebels stock up on MWC honors

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 9:54 a.m.

That UNLV softball pitcher Nicole Truax was named the Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week on Wednesday isn't such startling news.

After all, the Green Valley High School product won two games, didn't allow an earned run, struck out 10 and allowed only six hits in 14 1/3 innings in three appearances in the USL Mini-Tourney in Lafayette, La.

What was remarkable about the announcement was that Truax became the 23rd UNLV student-athlete so honored by the Mountain West Conference this semester. By comparison, UNLV had only four student-athletes in five sports earn conference player of the week honors in the fall.

Truax, a sophomore, became the third Rebel softball player honored by the MWC, joining teammates Racheal Goodpaster (Feb. 15 player of the week) and Geney Orris (Feb. 22 pitcher of the week).

Truax, who has a 7-3 record and a 3.86 ERA, threw two complete-game wins over Eastern Illinois and one-third of an inning of relief against Louisiana-Lafayette.

* WOMEN'S TENNIS: The 68th-ranked Rebels lost two three-set singles matches and fell to Oklahoma State 5-4 Tuesday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Rebels dropped to 7-6 with their second consecutive one-point loss. The Cowgirls, ranked 60th, improved to 4-2.

At the No. 1 spot, 20th-ranked Katarina Malec of UNLV won her 11th match in her last 13 outings to move to 24-5 overall. Also winning for the Rebels were Veronica Goude at No. 2 and Amy Hadziosmanovic at No. 6.

* MEN'S TENNIS: UNLV's Vladimir Pavicevic earned his first ranking as a Rebel in the WingspanBank.com Collegiate Rankings, which were released Wednesday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Pavicevic, who rose to as high as No. 11 in the nation on Sept. 19, 1998, while playing at South Carolina, moved into the 82nd spot in this week's singles rankings.

* TRACK AND FIELD: The UNLV Open, originally scheduled for this Saturday, has been cancelled. UNLV will begin the outdoor season next weekend at the Stanford Invitational.