UNLV Soccer Camps in Las Vegas, Nevada

UNLV Soccer Camps
Women's Staff

Katherine Mertz
Head Coach, UNLV Women's Soccer and Camp Director

Katherine Mertz has made a tremendous impact on the UNLV soccer program in her three years at the helm as she has led the Rebels to three straight Mountain West Conference championships (two tournament titles, one regular-season crown) and two NCAA Tournament appearances as well.

This last season, Mertz guided the UNLV squad to a fourth straight conference championship title, as the Rebels claimed the MWC regular-season crown with a 5-1-1 mark. The championship was won in dramatic fashion. With the title on the line in the regular-season finale, UNLV posted its first win over BYU, a 1-0 victory over the 24th-ranked Cougars. Despite the team's 11-5-5 final mark, it was passed over for the NCAA Tournament, marking the first time in four years the program would not receive a bid.

There were several highlights during the year, though. UNLV posted two wins over ranked teams during the season, as along with the BYU victory the Rebels upset No. 11 Washington State on Sept. 21 in Las Vegas. The Cougars were the highest ranked team UNLV has ever posted a win over. UNLV also tied the school record for shutouts in a season with 11, had a perfect home record for the first-time ever (7-0-3) and Mertz was honored with her first MWC Coach of the Year honor. Katie Carney was named to two All-West Region teams, and she was also the school's first-ever national academic team selection, while the Rebel squad received the NSCAA/Adidas Team Academic Award for exceptional academic performance.

In Mertz's second year in 2006, the Rebels stayed near the .500 mark the entire season while breaking in 10 newcomers. The team started to come together near the end of the season, however, as shown by an overtime victory over No. 21 Pepperdine, the first win over a ranked team in UNLV history. The Rebels then entered the MWC tournament as the third seed, but played outstanding defense to win back-to-back penalty kick shootouts to earn the 2006 MWC title. The win also gave UNLV its third-straight NCAA appearance, while forward Tanya Roberts earned NSCAA All-West Region honors.

Mertz had an impressive beginning to her head coaching career, as the Rebels began the 2005 season with a 3-4-3 mark, but bounced back over the final 10 games to post a 7-3 record en route to setting a new school record for wins in a season at 13 (13-7-3 overall record).

UNLV easily broke several defensive team records in 2005, including goals allowed in a season with 14, and team goals against average at 0.59, which ranked 12th in the nation. Mertz guided the squad to three straight wins in the MWC Tournament, including two straight in overtime, to capture the 2005 MWC Tournament title with a 1-0 win over New Mexico, putting the Rebels into the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the eight-year history of the program. There they just narrowly missed making the second round, falling at 15th-ranked Cal State Fullerton 1-0 in overtime. Four Rebels would be named all-conference in her first year in Las Vegas, with one earning all-region honors as well.

Mertz became the third head coach in UNLV women's soccer history in April of 2005. She came to Las Vegas from UCLA, where she was an assistant coach for the women's soccer program for five years. While on the Bruins staff, she helped guide them to three trips to the College Cup and two NCAA championship game appearances (2000, lost to North Carolina 2-1, 2004, lost to Notre Dame on penalty kicks). UCLA advanced to the NCAA third round all five of her years on the staff, while the Bruins also won three Pac-10 Conference titles.

Mertz is currently an assistant with the U-20 National Team, who qualified for the FIFA World Cup that will be held in November of 2008 in Chile. She was with the team this summer when it played in the CONCACAF Tournament in Puebla, Mexico, and reached the championship game.

She also served as assistant coach for the U-15 Women's National Team in the summers of 2004 and 2005. In the summer of 2007, Mertz was assistant and goalkeeper coach for the U-20 National Training Camp in Maryland that trained the U-20 National Team for the Pan American Games in Brazil.

Mertz was a four-year starting goalkeeper at North Carolina State from 1994-97, and helped the Wolfpack advance to the NCAA Tournament her first three years, including the NCAA Quarterfinals in 1995. She set the conference mark with 436 saves, and finished with 24 career shutouts. Mertz graduated from the school in 1998 with a degree in natural resources.

Following a year as an undergraduate assistant for NC State in 1998, she continued her soccer career in the W-League as the goalkeeper for the Raleigh Wings, which won the USISL Championship in 1998 and 1999. Mertz then served a year as assistant coach at Virginia in 1999 under former national team head coach April Heinrichs before moving to UCLA in 2000.

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Jennifer Klein
Assistant Coach, UNLV Women's Soccer

Jennifer Klein has served as assistant coach on the UNLV staff since August of 2007. She assists in recruiting and running practices, as well as office duties.

Klein came to UNLV from Arizona, where she was a volunteer assistant coach for the school after completing a four-year career for the Wildcats from 2002-05. As an assistant, Klein helped in the running of team and individual training, as well as performing administrative duties for the squad. She also assisted in recruiting and team camps as well. A member of the Region IV ODP staff, Klein served as head coach of the '94 Girls team, which won the 2007 Gothia Cup, and she has also been a coach for the Arizona Rush Soccer Club. Since coming to Las Vegas, she has coached with several local youth teams, and is also involved with the Nevada ODP and Region IV ODP.

As a player at Arizona, she was a team captain her final two seasons, while helping the squad to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2005 and to its first Pac-10 Championship the previous year. She appeared in 78 games in her career, with 60 starts as a midfielder and outside back. Klein was also a member of the Arizona Heatwave in the W-League from 2003-05.

Klein received her bachelor of science degree in science from Arizona in May of 2006.

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Alan Cox
Assistant Coach, UNLV Women's Soccer

Alan Cox is in his first year on the UNLV coaching staff, having been hired in August.

He comes to UNLV after having spent the previous year as the age group director of FC Las Vegas (U9-U14), as well as serving as head coach of the Nevada Olympic Development program. Cox is also a staff coach for the Region IV ODP program, and will continue serving in his coaching duties with all three programs while serving on the Rebel staff. Before coming to Las Vegas, Cox spent four years in Eugene, Ore., where he was Director of Coaching at the Oregon United Soccer Academy. He also spent one season as head coach of the Churchill High girls' soccer team, and two years (2004-05) as assistant coach for Sheldon High, who won the state title both years. Cox was the Director of Future Stars at the Lane County Fall Soccer Academy and League in 2004 and 2005, and served as a staff coach at the University of Oregon summer soccer camps from 2006-08.

Growing up in England, Cox played for Manstwo FC in Devon, and was named Season MVP in 1999 and 2000. He attended Ivybridge College in Devon, and was team captain from 2000-02, while leading them to two cup finals. Cox also played for Hastings United FC, a semi-professional club in the Doctor Martins Premiere league.

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Jim Wain
Volunteer Assistant Coach, UNLV Women's Soccer

Jim Wain is in his first year as a volunteer assistant coach for the UNLV women's soccer team.

Most recently, Wain served as the trainer for the Lonestar Soccer Club in Austin, Texas from 2001-08. Prior to joining LSC, Wain coached with the Warrior Soccer Association, the CASL in North Carolina with the Greensboro Twisters, and the Alta Loma Arsenal in California. He coached professionally in the USWISL with the Piedmont Sparks as head coach, and was an assistant coach on the collegiate level with UNC Greensboro.

Wain played for UCLA in 1985 and helped the Bruins to the national championship that year. He also played professionally in Costa Rica, Greece, and for numerous other indoor and outdoor teams in the U.S.