Rebels volleyball team ambushed by injuries

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000 | 9:40 a.m.

Deitre Collins knew before the season that her UNLV volleyball team was going to have its share of problems early on because of a combination of an inexperienced team and a tough schedule.

What Collins hadn't counted on was a slew of injuries that has forced Collins to constantly juggle her lineup while playing six ranked teams in UNLV's first 11 games.

As a result, the Rebels enter tonight's Mountain West Conference match with New Mexico at the Thomas & Mack still searching for their first win of the season. Game time is 7 p.m.

"We definitely knew we were not necessarily going to win a bunch of games at the beginning because of our schedule," Collins said. "Then we had some people unexpectedly leave the program and we have had a lot of injuries that were not expected so it has been a disappointing start of the season."

The Rebels were 0-9 in the nonconference games and then opened Mountain West Conference play last week with losses at No. 15 BYU and No. 18 Utah.

UNLV enters tonight's match with an 0-11 overall record and 0-2 in the conference.

Despite a disheartening start, Collins said her players have maintained a positive attitude.

"It's never easy to lose this many games, but everybody is still working hard," Collins said. "We have our ups and downs, but I'm real proud of the girls for how they come and practice ... and we keep waiting for the weekend that it's all going to come together."

Collins said this week's matches with New Mexico and Air Force (Friday at Lied Gymnasium) will be a true indication of where her team stands in terms of what the Rebels can accomplish the rest of the year.

"I think we have to see how we play this weekend against New Mexico and Air Force," Collins said. "I think it was rough that we had to open up our conference with BYU and Utah -- who are two very good teams.

"I would like to see us still be able to finish behind BYU, Utah and Colorado State in competing for that fourth spot in the conference ... but it's really hard to say because we haven't played (anybody but the top two teams in the conference)."

* MEN'S SOCCER: After splitting matches last week at home against Cal Poly and at San Diego, the Rebels return home Friday night to host the UNLV Coors Light Invitational at Johann Field.

UNLV (3-4-1) will face Drury University Friday in the opener at 7 p.m. and San Diego State will meet Louisville afterward.

Sunday's action pits UNLV against Louisville at noon and San Diego State meets Drury at 2 p.m.

* WOMEN'S SOCCER: The Rebels will put their 6-3 record on the line this weekend with a pair of road matches at Long Beach State and Washington State.

UNLV kept its home record perfect at 3-0 with a 3-2 victory Saturday over San Francisco at Johann Field.

* CROSS COUNTRY: Led by seniors Katie Barto and Jenni Lopez, the Rebels finished sixth last weekend at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle.

Barto collected her first top-10 finish since last year's UNLV Invitational and was the Rebels' top scorer for the first time in her career, finishing seventh overall in 21:44.30 on the 6-kilometer course.

Lopez finished eighth with a time of 21:48.67.

The Rebels are off until the Long Beach Invitational on Oct. 7.