ATHERTON, CA – Coming off an exciting five-set victory the night prior, Menlo Women's Volleyball still had enough left in the tank to stay right with No. 5 Point Loma, winning the second set against the Sea Lions before falling 3-1 (25-21, 22-25, 25-18, 25-7) in the teams' lone Pacific West Conference matchup of the season on Saturday inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion.

Oaks Highlights
-Fuka Kikuchi logged her fourth straight match with double-digit kills, leading the Oaks with 15
-Janet Moala and Sophia Kelso each posted a match-high three blocks
-Ruby Santos collected a team-best 12 digs, pairing those with 15 assists for her third consecutive double-double

Women's Volleyball Contends With National Contenders
Separated by just two points at 14-12 after four different Oaks delivered consecutive kills in the opening set, Menlo remained within striking distance late. The Oaks denied Point Loma two set points before ultimately dropping the 25-21 result. A 6-2 burst to start the second frame, however, saw senior middle blocker/opposite Maya Saole-Su'e, freshman middle blocker/opposite Sophia Kelso, and senior middle blocker Janet Moala all have their hands in blocks. The difference was four at 22-18 on a service ace from junior outside hitter Fuka Kikuchi and, though the Sea Lions made one last move, the Oaks had an answer with three of the set's last four points and a Moala kill for the 25-22 victory.

Facing a 17-10 deficit in the third frame, Menlo rallied with a 6-2 surge capped by back-to-back service aces by Kelso. Three points is as close as the Oaks would come, however, as two more set points were stopped on Kikuchi kills prior to the 25-18 ending in favor of the visitors. PLNU held an 11-3 advantage in the early stages of the fourth set and finished strong to take the match with a 25-7 final score.

Up Next
Prior to a five-part homestand in a home-heavy October, Menlo will travel back to Fresno for a 6 p.m. matchup with Fresno Pacific on Thursday, Oct. 9.