Sylvania, OH-Its been a long week of competition for Menlo Men's Volleyball. The team has spent the last few days in Ohio partaking in a high level tournament filled with four teams all currently within the top 15 of the NAIA. After big wins against #9 Georgetown and #14 Lourdes the Oaks would fall in four sets to #10 William Penn. Each set would be close with the Oaks scoring at least 20 points in each one. Regardless, Menlo moved to 4-1 on the year and picked up a pair of solid wins on the road.
Overseas Oaks Carry the Load
As has been the case for much of the early portion of this season, the trio of Konrad Stoklosinski, Wojciech Nowak and Julius Stiemer were leaders of Menlos offensive actions. Combined, the three players would post 40 kills and five blocks. Stoklosinski once again led the team with 15 kills on the day but also helped get his teammates going with five assists on the night. Freshman Wojciech Nowak, another Oak hailing from Poland, continues to showcase a well rounded game that made him such a highly touted recruit for coach Hollenbekc. Alongside his 14 kills, he had three assists, two blocks and nine digs.
Solid Defensive Stats for the Day
On the day Menlo showed a lot of fight defensively as well with multiple players recording a number of blocks and digs. Senior Dylan Cohan and junior Gabriel Knittle combined for six blocks with Cohan adding in another nine kills for good measure. Freshman Alijah Bermudez also made some solid defensive plays with eight digs of his own. Lastly, setter William Lawler continues to stuff the statsheet with 45 assists, two block assists and 10 digs.
Up Next…
After a long week the team will enjoy their next three games at home. Starting off with a two day stretch at the Oak Invitational Tournament. From February 16th through the 17th the pair of UC Merced and Simpson will be coming to play the Oaks inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion. The Oaks had already beaten both these teams earlier this year. They will then take on Benedictine University Mesa which is currently ranked second in the nation in the NAIA. This will be a huge test for the Oaks as they continue to take on a multitude of highly ranked opponents before conference play gets underway.
Menlo College is currently a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). To learn more about Menlo Athletics visit www.menloathletics.com or follow Menlo Athletics on Instagram (@menloathletics), X (@MenloAthletics) or Facebook (Menlo College Athletic)
