ATHERTON, CA – The Menlo Men's Volleyball program enters its second season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) with a new voice leading the way. Head Coach Ali'i Keohohou takes the reins after the Oaks tested themselves against some of the toughest competition in the country last year.
 
Key Returners
With a lot of upperclassmen unfortunately making their exit last season, the Oaks look towards their underclassmen as their key returners this year. Ty Carson is the biggest returner for the Oaks this season. The sophomore is the lone returning start this season and looks to make a dramatic impact in leading the Oaks as one of their key offensive weapons, as he finished last season with 182 kills along with 30 aces.
 
Another sophomore in setter Xavier Cordova also returns for the Oaks. Cordova was a key rotational setter throughout the season that helped maneuver the Oaks offense dangerously when rotating setters in matches, ending his first season with 61 assists. Mark Ensalaco is another figure for the Oaks that ended the season with 36 kills, 3 aces along with 4 total blocks last season, helping the Oaks push themselves to the conference tournament.
 
Important New Faces
The Oaks add a handful of freshmen and transfers to round out the roster, highlighted by graduate transfer Joshua Friedman. Coming from powerhouse USC, Friedman is expected to take on a leadership role as a setter and help guide the Oaks' offense throughout the season. Another graduate transfer to watch is setter Gabriel Ocasio Lopez, who joins the Oaks from the University of Jamestown. Lopez brings a significant experience after posting 893 assists last season, giving Menlo another strong option to control the tempo offensively.
 
Junior middle blocker Garrett Hockman also arrives as a transfer from Belmont Abbey, recording 182.5 points last season including 87 points at the net. Defensively, the Oaks add libero Danny Smithers, a transfer from North Central College. Smithers led his team in digs in each of his two seasons there, bringing more experience to the back row.
 
The Oaks also welcome a group of freshmen looking to establish themselves early. Middle blockers Max Jarrett and Owen Altadonna add depth at the net while Zan Schwartz joins the roster at the libero position. Rounding out the newcomers is French international Alexandre Ferdani, who looks to contribute as a outside hitter this season.
 
Schedule Highlights
The Oaks will begin their 2026 season starting off with back-to-back games at home, starting with a matchup against Lewis University tomorrow, January 9^th with UC Santa Cruz on Saturday on January 10^th. The Oaks will then take their first big road trip by competing at the Under Armour Challenge in Saint Charles, Missouri with matchups against Purdue Fort Wayne and Lindenwood. Menlo will then have back-to-back matches against Brigham Young University (BYU) for the first time in Provo, UT on Feb. 13-14 before conference play. The Bobcats of UC Merced will be the Oaks first matchup in conference play on Feb. 27-28 at home in Haynes-Prim Pavilion. Menlo will look forward to hosting Pepperdine on March 15^th before taking a trip to Los Angeles to take on USC from March 27-28. Menlo will host UCLA for the first time on April 12^th, with their final two conference matches against Stanford on April 17-18. The Oak's will end the season looking to qualify for the MPSF Championship Tournament from April 21-26 held in Provo, UT.

With a young core, experienced transfers, and a demanding schedule ahead, the Oaks enter the 2026 season focused on growth and consistency. Under new leadership and facing some of the nation's top programs, Menlo will look to build on last year's experience and take another step forward in MPSF play.