MERCED, CA – In a thrilling battle in the central valley, the Oaks would earn their second straight conference win, taking the series against UC Merced and reverse sweeping them to begin conference play 2-0.
 
It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint
The opening frame was tightly contested from the first serve,  both teams would continue to trade points up until late in the set where the Oaks would catch up to tie the score multiple times. Mathias Durfee, Xavier Cordova and Alexandre Ferdani kept the Oaks in the fight with Cordova picking up a kill to tie it 24-24. However, UC Merced capitalized on a late block to take the first set.
 
The Oaks would struggle to get their offense going in the second, falling behind as the frame began. Despite multiple efforts offensively, UC Merced would hold the Oaks to only a .037 hitting percentage and take the set 25-14 to put the Oaks in trouble of falling.
 
The tide began to turn in the third, with the Oaks settling with a .238 hitting percentage while creating a wall at the net defensively. The Oaks would go on a 9 point run in the middle of the set, forcing five straight attack errors for Merced to go up 18-9. Menlo would go on to close a strong set 25-19 and shift the match's momentum.
 
The Oaks continued to build confidence in the fourth, upping their offensive efficiency to a .350 hitting percentage with 11 kills. A mid-set five-point run would create separation with the Oaks controlling the latter half of the set to win 25-20 and forcing a decisive fifth.
 
In a dramatic fifth, the Oaks delivered their highest hitting percentage, hitting a .562 with 10 kills. Mathias Durfee caught fire from the service line with two aces to help the Oaks take the lead at the midway point in the set . The teams traded points late, but the Oaks kept their composure to seal the set 15-13 for the reverse sweep.
 
Oaks Star Performances

• Mathias Durfee led the offense with17 kills on a .353 hitting percentage and picking up 3 service aces while collecting 3 block assists defensively
• Joshua Friedman led an efficient offense at setter, tallying 44 assists while picking up an ace and three blocks
• Alexandre Ferdani also tagged 17 kills on a .438 hitting percentage with four blocks at the net and 10 digs

 
Up Next
With momentum on their side, the Oaks will head down to Irvine from March 6-7 for a two game conference series against Concordia University-Irvine in the CU Arena.

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