SAN DIMAS, CA – Menlo Women's Volleyball took the GSAC Championship match to five sets against Vangaurd where the Lions would ultimately pull ahead, 2-3. No GSAC foe has taken the unbeaten Lions to five sets in regular season play which the Oaks can walk away feeling proud about. This is Head Coach Denise Sheldon's second appearance in the GSAC Championships with the program. Menlo finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 18-9 and 9-5 in conference play.
Oaks Capitalize on Lions Mistakes
After the Lions took the first set by a score of 25-21, Menlo was fired up to keep the match competitive. A 10-point run halfway through would give Menlo a large enough lead to comfortably win the second set 25-16. Half of those points were off of Lions attack errors or ball handling errors. Vanguard regrouped going into the third set because they started off with a 0-6 lead. Menlo fought hard to get back but ended up dropping the third set, 21-25. The fourth set would look similar to the second with Menlo gaining a 9-point lead mid-set thanks to kills from Hannah Torres and Katharine Mumm. A final 5-point burst in the end would send the match to five sets. It was a side-out battle in the fifth set going back and forth until it was tied 12-12. From there the Lions found the energy to finish the match off, 12-15. This final GSAC showdown was definitely one to remember as the Oaks showed some of their best offensive performances of the season!
Torres Tallies Most Kills in Championship Match
In a team-by-team comparison, Menlo outperformed Vanguard in hitting percentage (.274) and blocks (10 total). Strong serving and digging from Vanguard would help push them over the finish line. Tonight's kills leader was junior Opposite Hannah Torres with 17 kills hitting at .382%. Ayanna Barham was not far behind with 15 kills as well as adding 8 digs. Paige Harmann dished 28 assists to help the Oaks on offense. Maya Saole-Su'e totaled 6 solo blocks and a block assist towards Menlo's 10 total. Amey Rainaud-Hinds led the defense with 14 digs. Rainaud will finish the season #11 in the NAIA with 5.95 digs per set and 625 total digs on the season. There is no question that Amey deserves the title of GSAC Libero of the Year after her performances over the 2023 season!
