SAN DIMAS, Calif. – The Vanguard women's volleyball team added another checkmark to their growing list of accomplishments in 2023, winning their first Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament title with a thrilling five-set triumph over Menlo Saturday on Mehl Court.
The moment VU middle blocker Bailey Olbur stuffed Menlo's Katherine Mumm on match point, completing an exhausting yet gratifying 25-21, 16-25, 25-21, 13-25, 15-12 victory, the Lions rushed the court in jubilation.
This season's group is the first in school history to capture both GSAC regular season and tournament titles, and they did so while under duress. The Oaks were the first team in 27 matches to take the Lions to five sets, and the Blue and Gold behaved brilliantly in uncharted waters.
VU (26-1) overcame a 12-11 deficit in the fifth set to score the final four points, using impressive serving from Madeline DeLucia, Kate Phillips and Blair Dodge to help the Lions over the hump.
GSAC Co-Player of the Year Morgan Cole was outstanding with a 16-kill, 13-dig double-double, and had two kills in set five.
All-GSAC standout middle blocker Bailey Olbur had three crucial solo blocks and two of her season-high 13 kills in the decisive fifth set. The senior hit .346 (13-4-26) overall and also recorded a solo stuff to get the Lions to match point.
Outside hitter Callie Bickmore posted her fourth straight match with double-digit kills, finishing with 13, including two that helped the Lions to an early lead in the final set.
Phillips had three huge service aces, with two coming in the middle of the fifth set.
Dodge was the server on the final three points of the match. She tallied a match-high four of VU's nine service aces as the Lions outperformed the Oaks 9-3 on the stat sheet.
VU also won on the rare night the opponent finished with a higher hitting percentage. The Oaks outhit the Lions .274 to .159. Menlo also outblocked with Maya Saole-Su'e an absolute terror producing six solo blocks, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Blue and Gold from extending their school record winning streak to 24 straight.
The Lions had more kills (61-53) and digs (56-52), as libero Natalie Escher posted a match-high 19 scoops.
VU overcame every type of adversity in winning this match, which included tying its season-high with 36 attack errors.
But one thing is for certain for the nation's 11th-ranked team – they are the undisputed champions.
What Happened?
Set 1 – The Lions came out firing, staking a 5-0 lead on the serving of Dodge. Olbur, Cole and Bickmore got involved immediately with kills, and Dodge polished things off with an ace.
The Oaks responded with four straight points and eventually forced ties at 7-7 and 8-8, before a 4-0 VU burst opened up a 12-8 lead for the designated home team. Viktoria Dickson recorded a solo block on Ayanna Barham to force a Menlo timeout as the Lions reopened a five-point lead at 19-14.
The Oaks reeled off four straight to pull within 20-19, but the Lions took four of the five final points, aided by an Olbur kill, Dodge ace and Cole slam. VU won the first set 25-21 and outhit Menlo .263 to .175.
Set 2 – Menlo controlled the action and led from start to finish in the 25-16 victory. The Oaks committed just one attack error en route to hitting a blistering .417, while the Lions countered at .000 with an uncharacteristic 12 hitting errors.
The Lions hung around for a bit, trailing 12-9, but the big blow was a 10-0 Menlo run that created a 22-9 deficit. VU fought back with five straight points, but the Oaks closed out set on a Hannah Torres kill.
Set 3 – VU regrouped and had its best hitting effort of the night. The Lions swung at a .324 (17-5-37) clip and won 25-21 as Menlo hit a respectable .273.
The Lions took a commanding 6-0 lead as Dodge prevailed at the service line for five of those points, which included one of her four aces. Bickmore also had a pair of kills as VU had the hot hand.
The Oaks whittled the deficit down to 7-4, but the Lions answered with a 6-1 run to extend the lead to eight. Cole and Adeline Galvanoni had two kills each during that stretch. Trailing 21-15, the Oaks scored four in a row to pull within two. But that was as close as Menlo would get as Olbur and Bickmore combined for the final three VU points.
Set 4 – Back and forth the two teams went as Menlo reverted to set two status and bombed away at a .400 (11-1-25) clip, while the Lions struggled at -.029.
The Lions trailed just 10-9, but another big Menlo run created too much distance. The Oaks scored six straight points to lead 16-9 as Saole Su'e had two solo blocks during the run. Menlo notched the final five points to take the 25-13 win.
Set 5 – The decisive set was tight throughout, featuring six ties. The Lions ran away from a 6-6 tie with a 4-0 run, punctuated by the two Phillips aces and a Menlo timeout.
But the Oaks reeled the Lions back in, utilizing a 6-1 run to take a 12-11 lead. Mumm's kill brought the Oaks within three points of the title.
The Lions did not blink, scoring the final four points to yank the trophy into their collective arms. Olbur tied the score at 12-12 with a kill. Torres misfired on the next point as VU took the 13-12 lead, and Olbur came up big again as she rejected Torres and Mumm on the final two points.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions finished 16-0 this season against GSAC opponents in their final season of NAIA competition.
What Was Said?: "Tonight was an absolute epic battle," said Head Coach Jennifer Dorn. "Menlo brought it and really exposed some weaknesses in us. Coming down to set five, which is our first this year, there was no question of where our girl's heads were at. I couldn't be more proud of what the girls have accomplished this history making season. To be continued…"
What's Next?: As the GSAC's automatic qualifier to the NAIA Championship, the Lions will learn their opening opponent on Monday, November 13 at noon (PT). The Selection Show will be streamed on the NAIA's YouTube Channel.
