Atherton, CA - The Hawaii Pacific University women's volleyball team took on the Menlo College Oaks on Sunday afternoon. It was a well-fought match ultimately ending in a five set loss for the Sharks. The total set scores resulted in 18-25, 25-20, 25-27, 25-12, 13-15.
The Oaks started the game strong. Early in the first set, Menlo College was able to go on a 9-3 scoring run against the Sharks. The Sharks fought hard for a comeback but the Oaks had enough momentum to close out the first set 18-25. However, the Sharks fought their way back and gathered all the power they could muster for set two. This set ended with three straight kills by the Sharks to finish 25-20.
The third set was a nail-biter. It was a point for point battle with a total of 18 tie scores and 4 lead changes. The Oaks were able to gather the last bit of momentum to fight through and finish first with a score of 25-27. The Sharks did not let this set get the best of them. HPU put forth an outstanding fourth set dominating over Menlo College with a set score of 25-12. This set had the highest overall hitting percentage with a .314 from the Sharks.
The final set was a compelling watch. The Sharks gathered a lot of motivation from the previous set, maintaining a strong presence on the court. The set starts with a tie of 5-5. HPU was able to go on 4-0 run making the score 9-5. Menlo combats that with a 5-1 run tying the score 10-10. The Sharks fought hard but gave up the fifth set 13-15, losing the first match of their road trip.
Key Players:
The Menlo College Oaks were led by Hannah Torres with her total of 16 kills and Paige Harmann's 50 assists. Faith Oller played a huge role on defense with 20 digs, along with Keely Grant tallying up 6 blocks.
The Sharks are looking ahead to the rest of their roadtrip, focusing on their rematches against Dominican University and the Academy of Art. The Sharks are hopeful to earn their first win before heading back home.
