UNLV roundup: Women’s soccer team advances to Mountain West tournament title match

Dakota Blazak and Lily Sender scored in the opening 15 minutes to lead top-seeded UNLV to a 2-1 win over Utah State in a semifinal of the Mountain West women’s soccer tournament Thursday in San Diego.

Sender’s goal was her 15th of the season, breaking the program’s single-season record and extending her single-season points mark to 37 as the Rebels (16-3-2) advanced to their first conference title game since 2007.

Lauren Harmon scored in the 64th minute for the fourth-seeded Aggies (12-9), who were outshot 13-3 — including 9-1 in the first half.

Jordan Sallee had two saves for UNLV, which is 9-0-2 in its past 11 games and will face No. 3 seed San Diego State (10-7-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday for the MW title.

MEN’S TENNIS

At Flushing, N.Y., UNLV senior Jakob Amilon was one point away from an upset victory Thursday but ultimately lost his first-round match at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships.

Amilon, ranked 124th nationally, fell 7-5, 6-7 (8), 7-5 to No. 45 Jose Salazar of Arkansas. Amilon led the third set 5-4 and was serving for the clinching point before Salazar rallied.

In the consolation bracket of the 32-player tournament, Amilon will face fifth-seeded and 37th-ranked Alfredo Perez of Florida on Friday. Perez lost 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 to UCLA’s Gage Brymer in the first round.

VOLLEYBALL

At Fort Collins, Colo., Kirstie Hillyer had 18 kills to lead Colorado State (16-7, 10-3) to a 3-2 win over UNLV (21-4, 10-3) in a Mountain West volleyball match.

Bree Hammel had 23 kills and 12 digs and Alexis Patterson 50 assists for the Rebels, who fell by scores of 20-25, 25-18, 25-21, 17-25 and 15-11.