ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Women's Volleyball put in a good fight but ultimately lost in three sets to #11 Vanguard (22-25, 17-25, 18-25). The undefeated Lions are the powerhouse of the conference as it stands and remains the only team to beat all other GSAC foes. It was a battle from the start but the Oaks hung in there every single point of the match. Menlo is now 14-7 overall and 6-4 in GSAC play.
Oaks Show Moments of Greatness Through Defeat
Despite dropping each set to the Lions, the Oaks kept the score neck-and-neck until the end where the Lions would go on bursts to win. The Lion attackers were firing on all cylinders, requiring Menlo to be very technical to continue every rally. The long rallies would tend to end in favor of Vanguard. The first set went to Vanguard but not after a Janet Moala and Giulia Marinelli block to make it 22-24. The second set was tied 8-8 until the Lions went on a scoring fury to make it 8-16. Amey Rainaud-Hinds totaled 11 digs and 3 assists tonight while performing rally-saving digs to keep the Oaks alive. After that the Oaks struggled to overcome the large deficit, it was on to set three. There, the score was back and forth again until it was 18-20 when Vanguard decided to end the night on a 6-point run. The Oaks were showing a defensive battle but could not overcome the #11 ranked Lions on Friday evening.
Saole-Su'e is a Blocking Machine
Middle Maya Saole-Su'e totaled half of the Oaks blocking while also hitting .400%. The sophomore from Kapolei, Hawaii landed 5 kills and 3 block assists for the Oaks. Maya is now #3 in the GSAC in both hitting percentage (.287%) and block (61 total). Saole-Su'e has become a utility on offense and defense this season for Menlo. Giulia Marinelli was the kills leader tonight with 7 kills. Both setters, Paige Harmann (11) and Beatrice Manzon (10) put in a lot of work performing 88 total attempts against Vanguard, however their front line was powerful and did not allow much to get by. There are some great takeaways that Menlo can keep in their back pockets but it is a quick turnaround as they prepare for their final home match of the season on Saturday night.
Up Next….
OAKtoberfest and Senior Day have arrived! Menlo honors their two seniors, Shawna Thompson and Gabriella MacKenzie, inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion on Saturday, October 14th 2023 at 6:50pm. Following will be the faceoff against the Hope International Royals for the final home match of the season at 7pm!
