UNLV Briefs

Rebels’ opener at Wisconsin to air on ESPN, ESPN 3D

Seven announcers working for two ESPN production teams will describe the action when the UNLV football team opens its season Sept. 1 against 11th-ranked Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.

The game, which kicks off ESPN’s 2011 college football coverage, will air at 5 p.m. PDT and be available via various platforms: on ESPN, online at ESPN3 and, for the first time ever, fans can watch the Rebels in 3-D. With the help of a separate production truck and nine 3-D cameras, the game is the first of 20 regular-season matchups and six bowl games that will be televised this season by ESPN 3D.

The announcing teams traveling to Madison are Reece Davis, Craig James and Jesse Palmer in the booth, with Jenn Brown on the sidelines on ESPN; and Dave Lamont and Tim Brown upstairs, with David Diaz-Infante reporting from the field on ESPN 3D.

Again this season, all Rebels games will be broadcast on KWWN (1100 AM and 98.9 FM). Jon Sandler and Mike Pritchard will call the action.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Lady Rebels load up schedule with formidable opponents

The UNLV women’s basketball team could play 16 games against teams that competed in last year’s NCAA Tournament or Women’s National Invitation Tournament, according to the 2011-12 schedule released this week.

Highlighting the nonconference slate is a matchup against either Georgia or Georgetown in the finals of the Lady Rebel Roundup on Nov. 27. The Bulldogs and Hoyas made it to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, and both are expected to be ranked in this year’s preseason Top 25.

Overall, UNLV will play in four regular-season tournaments, playing two on the road and hosting two four-team pre-Christmas invitationals that feature five teams that advanced to postseason play in 2011. The Lady Rebels also will make three regular-season TV appearances on The Mtn. network (Cox 334).

The Lady Rebels’ season opens Nov. 7 with a home exhibition against Notre Dame De Namur, of Belmont, Calif. The regular-season opener will be in the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City, Iowa, against either Butler, Harvard or host Iowa.

UNLV’s regular-season home opener will be against UC Riverside on Nov. 16.

"We have a very experienced roster this year, especially with our returning starters, so I felt this schedule would be a good challenge for them and help get our team prepared early in the year for the test of playing on the road," fourth-year coach Kathy Olivier said.

The Lady Rebels return all five starters and six of their top eight scorers from last year’s squad that finished 11-20 overall and 4-12 in Mountain West Conference play.

An interesting sidelight for the Lady Rebels will be a Dec. 18 game against Northwestern in the BTI Invitational at Cox Pavilion. The Wildcats feature Dannielle Diamant, the granddaughter of former UNLV men’s coach Jerry Tarkanian.

UNLV will open the Mountain West season at Wyoming on Jan. 11, with the league home opener set for Jan. 14 against San Diego State.

For the complete schedule and more information on the Lady Rebels, go to www.unlvrebels.com/sports/w-baskbl.

MISCELLANEOUS

Former standout Jensen returns to coach women’s soccer team

Erica Jensen, who played for UNLV from 2005 through 2007, was named an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team.

A Las Vegas native, Jensen played her freshman year for Big West Conference champion Cal State Fullerton before transferring to UNLV in 2004. She appeared in 64 games for the Rebels, starting 55. A two-year captain, Jensen led the Rebels to three straight Mountain West championships.

Jensen most recently worked as the assistant sports information director at Cal State Bakersfield.

Also: Two UNLV men’s and two women’s tennis players — Alex Bull and Rene Ruegamer, and Ella Bourchier and Rumyana Terzieva — were named to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s All-Academic Team. All four players have GPAs of 3.50 or better.

The men’s and women’s squads also were honored in the team category.