SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The final two regular-season games for Vanguard men's volleyball had not gone as planned.  Arizona Christian shocked VU after the Lions had defeated OUAZ for the regular season championship.  Then, Menlo took two sets off the Blue and Gold at home and pushed the Lions in the fifth period.  Despite the dip, Vanguard reminded the Golden State Athletic Conference that they are the power in these waters.  The Lions opened the GSAC Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Menlo, winning 25-21, 25-20, and 25-16.  Vanguard hit .423 for the match and beat the Oaks in kills (42-34), assists (40-32), aces (4-0), and total blocks (8-4), including a 14-4 edge in block assists.   Will Anderson led the field with 19 kills and hit .448 in the match, with Kyle Anema second with 12 kills and two errors for a .385 hitting percentage. VU improves to 16-4 overall and 
 
What Happened?  Anema landed the first kill of the afternoon and after a service error gave the ball to Menlo, Will Anderson clobbered two balls to the floor to put VU up 3-1.  Menlo responded with two points in a row but a kill and two aces by Anderson helped the Lions go up 7-3.  The Oaks would trim the lead to one twice over the next few rallies, but the Blue and Gold were able to work away from the danger, eventually going up 12-8.  Yet a quick 5-0 run gave MC a 13-12 lead and forced the Lions to take their first timeout of the set.  Both teams fired away after the break, as the set would be tied five more times over the next few rallies.  Knotted at 20-all, up rose Tanner Woods for a kill that put Vanguard ahead.  That tally would tilt the proverbial pendulum over to VU for the remainder of the set, as the Lions scored five of the final six points.  Valesis Vaisuai had one kill down the stretch and Anderson and Cody Watts denied Konrad Stoklosinski to put VU up 24-21.  An attack error by the Oaks gave VU set one 25-21, as the Blue and Gold hit .400 in the first set with 15 kills and five errors.  MC hit .250 with 12 kills and six errors.
The second frame opened with three-straight points for Vanguard, as two errors and a tally from Anema got the Lions off on the right foot.  The lead slowly grew to 8-3, with Anderson netting a kill and an ace over the 5-3 stretch.  Both teams struggled from the service line over the next few rallies, but the Lions were able to hang a 15-9 lead on their foes.  The Oaks attempted a rally, getting the lead down to 15-12, but Watts and Anema stuffed Julius Stiemer and Anema recorded a kill two rallies later to put VU up 20-13.  The Oaks made one final rush, deploying a 5-1 run to slice the advantage to 21-18, but the Lions were not upended.  Anema and Anderson each recorded another kill and a pinpoint ace from Anderson handed the period to Vanguard 25-20.  The Lions hit.286 in the second, posting 11 kills and three errors.  Menlo hit .292, with 12 kills and five errors. 
With the thrill of victory just a set away, the Lions stomped down hard in the third to keep Menlo from getting any ideas of a reverse sweep.  The teams swapped points early on but Watts and Anderson pumped in three kills in a row (two from Watts) to put the Blue and Gold up 7-4.  The advantage continued to bloom, as kills from Anema and Anderson was followed by a block by Vaisuai and Anderson to double-up MC 12-6.  Menlo was able to tap the lead down to four over the next 11 rallies, but they would not get any closer.  The Lions finished the sweep on the back of an 8-3 run, with a kill from Anderson closing out the set 25-16.  VU hit a blistering .600 in the third, with 16 kills and one error on 25 attempts.  MC hit .138, with 10 kills and six errors. 
Watts had four kills and no errors to pair with a match-high four block assists.  Ryan Smith had 33 assists for the Blue and Gold and also had one kill and seven digs, a match-high.  Anderson and Vaisuia each had three block assists and Ryan Jew had four digs.

What was Said?  "It was a good afternoon match for us," said Head Coach Brian Rofer.  "Menlo did a very good job exposing a weakness but our guys were able to adjust.  Everyone contributed to this win and had some great hitting numbers at every position.  Ryan Jew did a great job for us but the consistency of Kyle's performance and his leadership is what's driving our success.  Another match tomorrow and another step towards our goal."

What's Next?  The Blue and Gold will play in the Championship match tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. against TMU