Surprise, AZ- Menlo Women's Volleyball kickstarted their trip to Arizona with a five set, back and forth match against the Spirit of OUAZ. Unfortunately, the Oaks would fall just short despite giving the Spirit all they could handle across five tightly contested sets.
Hannah Torres's Breakout Game
Junior transfer Hannah Torres brought her "A" game in Menlo's matchup with the Spirit as she made an impact all over the court. Having suffered an injury earlier this season Torres is now back in action and looking better than ever. She would go on to see action in all five sets posting 16 kills, three solo blocks and three digs for the night. She would lead the team in total blocks and finish second in kills for the evening. Her .282 hitting percentage would also be the highest across both teams. Menlo has battled a few injuries throughout the year and it seems at every turn the team has responded. Torres's breakout game in an Oaks uniform bodes well for continued success with the postseason getting closer.
Menlo's Setters Get the Offense Going
Paige Harmann and Beatrice Manzon were instrumental in keeping the Oaks offense rolling all night. While the pair did not post a kill between the two they were impactful all across the box score and court. They would go on to combine for 43 assists as they constantly provided their teammates scoring opportunities. Most impressive was their work on the defensive side of the net. Both players would post season high totals in digs with Harmann recording 16 and Manzon adding 13 digs. This duo of juniors have provided a steady, veteran presence for the Oaks and will need to continue their solid play as the final stretch of conference games is quickly approaching.
Up Next…
Menlo will remain in the southwest as they will have roughly 16 hours before they are back on the court against Arizona Christian on October 7th. The Oaks defeated the Firestorm early in September in convincing fashion with a 3-0 victory inside of Haynes-Prim Pavilion. Having dropped games against Life Pacific and OUAZ, you can be sure the team is going to be focused and locked in as they look to get back in the win column down in Arizona!
