ASHLAND, OR. – The Oaks kicked off the 2023 season 1-1 in Ashland, Oregon at the Southern Oregon Tournament. The first game of the day was against Oregon Tech where the Oaks fell 3-2 in a nail biter. They fought uphill and swept Embry-Riddle for an afternoon victory.
Menlo 2 - 3 Oregon Tech
Despite taking the loss, the Oaks still showed an outstanding performance against the Oregon Tech Owls. After trailing 14-20 at one point, Menlo responded with 5 kills, a block, and two aces to gain some ground on the Owls. Menlo was able to take the first set 25-23. Oregon Tech came back taking the second and third set to make the match 1-2. Menlo was not ready to back down however, because they dominated the fourth set, 25-16 to take it to five! The Oaks had a 9-point spree on the Owls with 4 kills and 2 aces to go up 12-3 before the Owls earned their next point. And the fifth set was an all-out brawl for the win. It was neck and neck the entire set but ultimately Oregon Tech found a way to overcome.
Jazmyn Tubbs, one of our Junior newcomers, showed up to compete today for the Oaks. She totaled 15 kills, 3 block assists, and 8 digs and appeared in all five sets. Gabriella MacKenzie was also leading the way with 13 kills hitting at .303%. Maya Saole-Sue and Amey Rainaud-Hinds were our defensive machines today. Saole-Sue had 7 blocks against the Owls and Rainaud-Hinds tallied 33 digs. And, Senior setter Paige Harmann dished out 33 assists to help the Oaks on the offense. It was a team effort today and Menlo had some great looks in their first match of the season!
Menlo 3 - 0 Embry-Riddle
Menlo entered the win column for the first time in the 2023 season with a sweep against Embry-Riddle. The Oaks held control the entire match and even when Embry-Riddle would have moments of a scoring spree, Menlo looked composed and ready to handle anything. Ayanna Barham sealed the first set with an ace to end it with a score of 25-16. Menlo kept the pace in the second set and was able to peel away early when they went up 6-1. That led to their second set victory of 25-22. The third set proved the Oaks superior after leading with a 5-0 deficit. The final set was earned at a score of 25-21. Menlo seemed much more comfortable on the court in this second game against the Eagles. More time together on the court will only improve this already stellar Oaks team!
The Oaks kill leader in game two was Jazmyn Tubbs again totaling 12 kills, an ace, and 7 digs. Janet Moala was holding it down in the middle with 6 kills and 3 block assists. Paige Harmann supporting Menlo once again with 19 assists, 7 digs, and 3 kills. And Kanani Packer, sophomore Libero, led the Oaks with 13 digs. Menlo is looking sharp early in this 2023 preseason!
Up Next….
Menlo has a quick turnaround as they take on Southern Oregon at 10am on Saturday, August 19! Their second game will take place at 4pm against Corban to round out the Southern Oregon Tournament preseason weekend! All live streaming and live statistics links will be available at MenloAthletics.com.
