Costa Mesa -- Another four-set match for the Lions ended in victory, as Vanguard women's volleyball grabbed their second Golden State Athletic Conference victory Friday night against Menlo. Powered by a great night from Danielle Bellfi (SR/Murrieta, CA) and Samantha Arellano (SR/Tulare, CA), the Blue and Gold won 25-17, 25-27, 25-17, and 25-22. The win puts VU at 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the GSAC.
What happened? The Oaks (2-5, 0-2) were outmatched over the first few rallies, as the Lions pulled away to a five-point advantage. Arellano and Bellfi each recorded their first kills of the night, as did Cambria Fernandez (SR/Northridge, CA). Vanguard kept that cushion as the first set moved along, but Menlo slowly righted the ship, making a 7-2 run to narrow the score to 14-15. Despite the challenge, the Lions kept their composure, with Bailey Olbur (SO/Las Vegas, NV) getting a big kill that helped reset the momentum in the set. From there, a couple of kills from the Lions and some errors by MC allowed VU to take set one 25-17. It was the best set offensively for the Blue and Gold, as the team hit at a .265 clip and held the Oaks to .029.
Set Two
Vanguard went from its best offensive set to the worst of the game in set two, as the squad hit at a .130 percentage. Menlo grabbed a 3-0 lead before VU rolled off seven unanswered points, with Arellano and Bellfi again providing the big hits. But as the set moved on, the Oaks stepped up their game and punched at an equal rate, with the score getting tied three times during the middle stages. VU was down as the score entered the twenties, but some errors by the visitors let Vanguard back in. Tied at 24-24, the Oaks dashed across the line first, taking set two 27-25.
Set Three
The Lions again forced the Oaks into errors in the third frame, with MC committing 10 and hitting at -.100 for the set. That helped VU roll out to a 9-3 lead before Menlo asked for a timeout. Things seemed to get interesting once more as the Oaks cut the lead to 14-13, but the Lions then unleashed another 7-0 run, with Maggie Gunther (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) joining in for a couple of big put-downs. VU claimed set three 25-17, as the team hit at a .182 rate to get within one set of the match victory.
Set Four
Tied at two, Olbur put away a ball the would put the Lions ahead for good. For although Menlo would stay within a few points of VU, the guests would never tie the game again. The Oaks came close at 8-7, but a few errors and a kill from Fernandez helped VU pull away to a 12-7 lead. MC deleted the deficit for the most part later in the set, as the Oaks closed to within one point at 18-17, but the Blue and Gold picked up four of the next five points to squash any doubts of a comeback. A kill from Bellfi gave the Lions the win, as the team took the fourth set 25-22.
Vanguard hit at a .173 percentage as a team for the match. Bellfi paced the team with 14 kills, Arellano was second with 12, Fernandez had 10, and Callie Bickmore (SO/Auburn, CA) had eight. Madeline DeLucia (SO/Happy Valley, OR) put up 27 assists, with Rachel Lim (FR/La Palma, CA) netting 15. Fernandez came close to equalling her personal-best dig number (31), as she collected 29 digs on the night to lead all players. Victoria Verceles (JR/Long Beach, CA) had 11, and Bellfi and Lim each had 10. The lineup had six solo blocks on the night as well.
What was said? "We've had a challenging week and I'm proud of how our girls continue to respond and push through adversity," said Head Coach Jennifer Dorn
Why is it important? The Lions avenge their last loss to the Oaks, who beat Vanguard the last time the two schools met in 2019. VU is now 14-4 against Menlo all-time. The win also continues the hot start the Lions are on, with the record showing numbers similar to that 2019 team, which entered conference play at 9-2 overall.
What is next? The Lions are back at it tomorrow, as the team will play William Jessup at 2 p.m. in the Pit.
