ATHERTON, Calif. – Ironically posting their most total blocks (11.5) in 364 days, Menlo Women's Volleyball moved in front of Chico State, countered the Wildcats' second-set rally, then combined strong team defense with a pair of dominant outside hitters for the 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 28-26) triumph to send their OAKtoberFest crowd out in celebratory fashion.
Oaks Highlights
-The eighth double-double of the season for
Fuka Kikuchi featured 23 kills (for the second straight match) and 13 digs
-With 18 kills and 13 digs,
Michelle Mlikan double-doubled for the third time in her last four contests
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Makenna Mello and
Ruby Santos combined for 54 assists
-After logging a match-high seven blocks,
Avery Krebill now has 13 rejections in her last two matches
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Faith Oller led all competitors with 23 digs
Five Oaks Log Multiple Blocks In Tough Collective Performance At The Net
With four of Menlo's first five kills coming off the hands of senior outside hitter
Fuka Kikuchi, the Oaks had soon built an 11-4 advantage and later extended it to 19-12 with sophomore outside hitter/opposite
Kate Ross providing both a kill and a block alongside sophomore middle blocker/opposite
Sophia Kelso during a 5-0 run. Trading scores the rest of the way, Menlo ultimately started with the 25-20 victory after junior outside hitter
Michelle Mlikan delivered her third kill of the frame.
Ignited, Mlikan then sent down four kills during a 7-2 opening to the second set before a 7-1 response from the Wildcats put them ahead 16-15. Momentum shifted to the visitors down the stretch with six straight points yielding their 25-18 result to even the match, but a 10-2 surge quickly put the Oaks in control of the third frame. In a theme of the night, sophomore outside hitter
Dayjah McFadden and junior middle blocker
Avery Krebill combined on a pair of blocks during the stretch then went back-to-back in the four unanswered points Menlo rattled off for the 25-16 victory.
Easily the closest-played set of the evening, the fourth had neither side lead by more than three points. A 7-2 push took the Oaks from down 13-10 to up 17-15 as Kikuchi and Mlikan continued to exert their will on the match, each receiving assists from freshman
Makenna Mello for kills. Kikuchi later had three consecutive putaways, but Chico State was the first to force a set point at 24-23 and, despite multiple tries at ending the contest, Menlo's only triple block of the night had Kikuchi, Ross, and Krebill punctuating the 28-26 win.
Up Next
Competing on their home floor just two more times this regular season, Menlo departs conference play to host Cal State San Marcos on Oct. 23 before Senior Night brings in Cal State Dominguez Hills on Oct. 24.
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