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TINA'S TAKE - SEPTEMBER 2016
One of the great joys of serving as Athletic Director at UNLV is the opportunity to meet with former student-athletes who excelled academically and athletically during their time on our campus, and are now taking on new and different challenges in life - and experiencing equal measures of success in doing so.
From Olympic gold medalist Lori Harrigan (UNLV '93), who starred in softball for the Rebels, to baseball standout Ryan Scott (UNLV '12, '14), to former Runnin' Rebel Dr. Lonnie Wright (UNLV '74), I've had the pleasure during the past month of visiting with all (and many more) and hearing just how impactful their experiences as a student-athlete at UNLV were in preparing them for success in life.
That's the magic of intercollegiate athletics. It's young people pursuing their dreams, academically and athletically, while benefitting from the life-changing gift of a college education. It's our campus and community coming together to support those young people and share in the excitement and tradition of college sport. It's having the courage to pursue your dreams - sometimes in front of a national audience - and the strength to get back up, even if you fall short.
It's what Lori and Ryan and Lonnie - and the countless other UNLV graduates I have the honor of speaking with - share with me when reflecting upon their college experience. And, it's what you make possible - whether through the simple act of buying a ticket to a sporting event or the extraordinary generosity associated with making a donation - when you support UNLV Athletics.
So, as we begin another exciting academic year, it's appropriate to reflect upon the profound impact intercollegiate athletics has on young people - and to extend a heartfelt “thank you” for all you do to enable our student-athletes to pursue their dreams. From Lori, Ryan, Lonnie and everyone associated with UNLV Athletics - thank you and Go Rebels!
Tina Kunzer-Murphy
UNLV Director of Athletics
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Fertitta Football Complex On The Way
Thanks to the largest single gift in UNLV Athletics history, UNLV Football is looking forward to the construction of a state-of-the-art football training facility, which will be known as the Fertitta Football Complex.
The Fertitta Family has pledged $10 million toward the 73,000-square foot, two-level complex that will be built on campus in the north end of the team's practice area and overlook the Ernie Becker Sr. Football Fields at Bill “Wildcat” Morris Rebel Park. It will become the day-to-day home of the program and include an academic center, locker rooms, offices, meeting rooms, strength & conditioning center, media room, training table and nutrition bar, athletic training center and player lounge.
A lead gift of $2 million, which was previously the largest ever earmarked for UNLV Football and came from a donor who wished to remain anonymous, was announced in late May. With this naming rights announcement, more than $16 million has been pledged toward the project, which is expected to cost between $24-26 million. Construction will begin in early spring and the facility will open to the student-athletes and staff approximately 10 months later.
Click here for more information on the complex, which includes renderings and a slick flythrough video.
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Volleyball Off To Best Start In Program History!
Led by Cindy Fredrick, who is in her sixth season as head coach of the UNLV Volleyball program, the Rebels are off to their best start to a season in program history. The team started out of the gate an incredible 11-0, eclipsing the school record for best start to a season set in 1999 (7-0). Dating back to the end of last year, the Rebels won 12 straight matches, which also is a program record. This season’s perfect start came to an end this past weekend at No. 9 BYU as the team finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with an 11-1 mark.
With the hot start, the program has received votes in the AVCA’s Top 25 Poll for the first time in eight years (2008). The Rebels, who have been led this year by sophomore middle blocker Elsa Descamps, senior middle blocker Bree Hammel and junior setter Alexis Patterson, open Mountain West play at home on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. at Cox Pavilion.
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UNLV Football Goes The Extra Yard For Teachers
Local UNLV Football players returned to their high schools on Monday, Sept. 19, to honor teachers as part of the college football "Extra Yard for Teachers" initiative taking place this week across the country. Organized by the College Football Playoff Foundation, the program celebrates teachers during a specified eight-day period. In addition, more local educators will be honored during this Saturday's game vs. Idaho at 6 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium. Freshmen offensive linemen Jaron Caldwell and Julio Garcia visited Bishop Gorman HS teachers Kevin Nixon and Mike Wright, junior defensive lineman Mike Hughes visited Palo Verde HS teacher Tom Steinline and sophomore defensive back Tim Hough visited Desert Pines HS counselor Kristine Korth. CLICK HERE to read more and to see the photo gallery of the day's activities.
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Governor's Series Champions - 4th Straight Year
Last season, the UNLV Athletics Department was again the winner of the Governor's Series presented by NV Energy and Barrick Gold. UNLV took the all-encompassing competition with Nevada, Reno by the final score of 28.5-19.5, which is an increase over the 2014-15 year's 27-21 Rebel victory. In fact, UNLV has won each and every Governor's Series trophy handed out and has a perfect 4-0 mark in the competition.
Football's Ryan McAleenan was named the winner of the 2016 Bill Ireland Award, which is given annually to a student-athlete who shines in their respective sport while competing against the Wolf Pack as part of the Governor's Series. McAleenan was presented with the award in late August at the Annual Welcome Back Celebration.
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Other UNLV Athletics News & Notes
- Women's Soccer is off to one of its best starts in program history. After beginning the season 4-0 for the first time, it finished its non-conference slate this past weekend with a 7-2 record. The team's 22 goals through nine games is more than halfway to the single-season record of 38, while its 23 assists are just nine shy of the single-season record of 32 set in 2015 - all with 11 regular-season games still to go. The Rebels have been led by a pair of seniors in Susie Bernal and Lily Sender, who have combined for eight goals and nine assists this year.
- Men's Golf got out of the gate with a strong performance in its season opener, tying for the team title at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo., as junior John Oda earned medalist honors for the third time in his career. He was also named the Outstanding Rebel of the Week. The Rebels then finished sixth this past weekend at the tough Olympia Fields Country Club/Fighting Illini Invitational, which featured 12 of the nation's top 32 teams.
- Football returns home this Saturday, Sept. 24, to face Idaho at Sam Boyd Stadium at 6 p.m. Click here to watch the most recent edition of Fox 5's Reb Zone Sports Show.
- Women's Golf has played one tournament so far this season at the Dick McGuire/Branch Law Firm Invitational in Albuqerque, N.M. The Rebels will be back in action at Texas' Betsy Rawls Invitational in Austin next month.
- Cross Country has competed at two meets so far this season - in Flagstaff, Ariz., and Riverside, Calif. The squad will be back in action this Friday, Sept. 23, in San Diego.
- Men's Soccer, led by Preseason All-America Danny Musovski, begins its home conference schedule on Sept. 30. The team currently ranks in the top 40 in the country in home attendance.
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Rebel Video Streams - Mountain West Network
Did you know that many of UNLV Athletics' home and road contests are video streamed online for free? Thanks to a partnership with the Mountain West Network, many non-televised events throughout the entire department are available on computers, tablets, phones and other connected devices.
To access live and archived Mountain West Network streams, go to UNLVRebels.com/videos.
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Follow The Rebels All Season Long ... Socially and Online
Get all of the up-to-the-minute information, photos, video and more by following UNLV Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and on the official athletics website UNLVRebels.com.
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