In just its third season the UNLV volleyball team is winning big

Deitre Collins was on the cover of the 1996 UNLV volleyball media guide, standing in front of the unfinished New York-New York hotel-casino. The slogan "Building an Empire" was printed across the top.

The only props missing were a hard hat on her head and rolled-up blueprints under her arm.

The Rebels were about to raise their program after it had been razed 11 years prior. Patience was stressed.

It was assumed the length of time Collins would need to establish the program would fall along the time line of the real Manhattan's development, dating to the day natives traded it away for beads and trinkets worth $24.

Instead, it took about as long as construction workers needed to erect the glitzy $460 million Las Vegas resort.

The Rebels, in just their third season following their finance-induced hibernation, are 16-5. They have been ranked as high as 29th in the country. The players are even dreaming about qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

"In my mind we're still building," Collins said. "Sometimes I still feel like that person standing in front of New York-New York."

Collins was accustomed to winning when she took the job. She was a member of the 1988 Olympic team and a three-time All-American at Hawaii, where she led the Wahine to a pair of national titles.

But if anyone would have suggested three years ago that Collins could build the UNLV program this efficiently, that person would have been laughed out of the gym.

The Rebels went 5-12 in their return. They were 9-18 last year.

"Our goal each year has been to double our wins," Collins said before unfurling a wide smile. "But I don't think we can do that anymore."

The program blossomed this year. During its recent 10-match winning streak, UNLV swept No. 24 Fresno State, marking the first time it beat a ranked opponent.

"Everyone pretty much underestimates us," said sophomore hitter Justine Kamelamela, who leads UNLV in kills (318) and digs (200).

"We just surprise them and show them how good we are. Everyone is starting to notice."

So how is UNLV able to compete so well against teams that have been around for decades?

According to the Rebels, it's their coach. According to Collins, it's her players.

"From the first year it started until now, there have been dramatic changes," said sophomore setter Keala Nihipali, a Chaparral High grad who saw enough in the fledgling program to transfer from perennial power Hawaii.

"I've seen the players improve so much in such a short period of time. That's gotta be the coaching."

And considering the Rebels have gone through four assistant coaches in their three years, the credit must go straight to Collins.

She immediately deflects it.

"It's simple," Collins responded when asked how she did it. "The athletes made up their minds to be better than what people expected. They're kids who work hard to get where they are. That's what counts.

"You're only as good as your athletes."

Collins admits she cannot attract the best national recruits to Las Vegas. But that hasn't stopped her from compiling a competitive roster.

"In identifying an athlete's potential, we've been fortunate to bring in kids who still had room to grow," Collins said. "Hopefully, our coaching staff teaches them things that get them better. We've developed a system to get the most out of them."

As UNLV's status grows, she is finding it exponentially easier to recruit.

"The competition (among teammates) is better," Nihipali said. "It's a different level. We have players at every position competing for that position. That makes us a better team."

It should get even better next year. The Rebels will lose only one player, top setter and captain Mari-de Boyer, to graduation.

"We're going to bring in recruits in addition to having the same players," said Angie Sylvas, a junior outside hitter from Cimarron-Memorial High who transferred from San Jose State. "We're going to mesh better. We'll really click next year for sure."

Collins claims there were three hurdles the program needed to overcome in order to become established: confidence, expectations and lack of tradition.

All stem from the program being discontinued in 1985 after five erratic seasons. The inaugural UNLV squad debuted in 1978 and lasted three years. It then took four years off before it resurfaced for two more in 1984.

"Everyone came here knowing what they wanted to do, but there was no one here who had done it before," Collins said. "They weren't sure how far they could get."

Now that some continuity has been imparted, the Rebels have an idea where they can go -- and it's pretty far.

"It's extremely possible we can make it to the NCAA tournament," Sylvas said. "First, though, we have to make the WAC tournament. But when we're playing our best in the WAC, we're unbeatable."

UNLV lost its first two WAC matches over the weekend, falling in four games to Wyoming and Colorado State. It is in third place in the Mountain Division at 5-2. CSU and Wyoming are first and second, but they still have to play at Lied Gymnasium on Nov. 19 and 21, respectively.

"It's fun as a coach to watch my team play," Collins said, "to see them get better by doing the things that you taught them and recognize we have made a step.

"We're headed in the right direction."

STARTING OVER

UNLV's year-by-year volleyball record:

1978: 10-7

1979: 12-9-1

1980: 7-7-1

1981-83: Program suspended

1984: 23-17

1985: 16-17

1986-95: Program suspended

1996: 5-22

1997: 9-18

1998: 16-5

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