SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Senior day for Vanguard men's volleyball saw the #6 Menlo Oaks come to town and #2 Vanguard was not ready to lose for the second time in the Golden State Athletic Conference. After dropping the first set, VU willed its way to victories in the second and third sets, powering up in the middle of the fifth set to emerge with a 3-2 win, with set scores of 21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 19-25, and 15-12. Kyle Anema (SR/La Mirada, CA) had himself one last memorable home game, as the senior lashed down a match-high 24 kills on 45 attempts for a .333 attack percentage on the afternoon. The Blue and Gold will finish the regular season at 15-4 overall and 9-1 in the GSAC, while Menlo will drop to 15-6 overall and 5-5 in the conference.
What Happened? Both squads did not hit particularly well in the first, as VU hit at a .103 mark and MC had a .182 rating. A service error got the Oaks on the board and they soon held a 3-0 lead. Will Anderson (JR/Tualatin, OR) splashed down his first kill to get the scoring going for Vanguard, but the Oaks would hold an edge at around three points as the set moved along. A kill from Cody Watts (SR/Clovis, CA), one of the eight seniors honored after the game, cut the gap to 13-12. A couple of errors by the Oaks, including a block from Ryan Smith (SR/Parker, CO), helped to level the set at 15-all, but Menlo sprung away again by three. The visitors closed out the frame without missing a step, winning 25-21.
Down but certainly not out, the Lions responded in the second. Tied at 5-5, a kill from Anema put Vanguard up 6-5. Even though Menlo tied the match four times over the next few rallies, VU did not let them hold a lead. Back-to-back strikes from Anema put the squad up 17-14, forcing Menlo to take a timeout. The advantage grew to four behind kills from Anema and Valesis Vaisuai (JR/Hayward, CA), as the Lions snagged a 19-15 edge. Menlo could not equal the Vanguard output, with a slam from Watts giving the Lions set two 25-19. VU hit .424 in the period, with 16 kills and two errors. Menlo hit .231 in the frame.
The Oaks got the first point of the third but neither squad could hold a lead for long over the opening stages, with the set being tied eight times. An attack error by the Oaks and a kill from Anema established the first two-point lead of the period and the Lions were able to hold that for a few rallies. however, the Oaks would knot the score at 16-all over the next three rallies. The home side then ran out a 5-1 run after the game was tied at 18-18, with Anema racking up two kills and an ace to send Vanguard up 22-19. A kill from Vaisuai put VU ahead 23-19 and forced Menlo to call its second timeout. The Oaks rallied, slowly cutting the deficit to 24-23, but Tanner Woods (JR/Portland, OR) rose up and spiked a ball to the court to give the Lions set two 25-23. Both teams had 13 kills in the third, with the Lions having three attack errors (.417%), to Menlo's four (.375%).
The fourth quickly pivoted to the Oaks, as Menlo rolled out a 12-3 run to open the period. Vanguard responded with a short 7-5 stretch but still trailed 17-10. Despite some inspired play down the stretch, Menlo was able to tie the match at 2-2 with the 25-19 win in the fourth set. The Oaks hit .370 in the frame and the Lions were at a .265 rate.
The deciding set started with a kill by Watts but the next few points went to Menlo. Vanguard trailed 5-3 and found themselves behind 8-5 soon t. Anderson then stepped up with a booming kill to start the reversal. Anema put down three kills over five rallies to trim the gap to 10-9 and a block by Anderson and Vaisuai leveled the score at 10-all. Anema gave Vanguard the lead with a kill and the defense then made two blocks over the next three rallies to put VU on the brink at 14-11. A service error gifted Menlo a point but Anderson landed the final kill shot on the next rally to win set five for VU 15-12 and the match 3-2. The Lions hit .389 in the fifth and checked MC to a .100 mark.
The Lions hit at a .312 clip for the match, with Menlo at a .261 rate. The two sides were very close in all major stat categories, though VU had more kills (66-53) and solo blocks (2-0) than Menlo.
Anderson was second in kills for the Lions with 16 and Watts was third with 11. Smith and Andrew Piloto (SR/Ontario, CA), another senior, split the setter duties, with Smith netting 32 assists and Piloto 23. Another senior, Ryan Jew (SR/Roseville, CA), led the Lions with eight digs. Anderson had seven digs and was tied with Watts for second on the team with four block assists. Vaisuai once more led the team in block assists with six.
What was Said? "Our practices last week over spring break were indicative of how we came out and played today," said Head Coach Brian Rofer. "Extremely flat. I have to take a lot of responsibility for that, meaning, allowing our practices to go in that direction. At this time of year, we have to be much more mentally focused and prepared, especially when we're facing a team like Menlo, who is sixth in the NAIA. We just had trouble gaining momentum early on. Piloto did a fantastic job getting us back into the match. After that, it was just a battle and we were able to finish the fifth set first. I'm proud of all our guys today, and the way they found a way to win this match. This was definitely a learning moment for us and with this team, it will be a lesson well-learned."
Why is it Important? The match was also the final home game for Colin Hassoun (SR/Granite Bay, CA), Matthew Roussin (SR/Anaheim Hills, CA), Evan Troncoso (SR/Burbank, CA), and Jordan Amling. VU is now 4-1 against the Oaks all-time and will have the one seed in the GSAC Tournament.
What's Next? The Lions will travel to OUAZ for the tournament and will open play on March 31 at 3:00 p.m. against the Spirit.
