ATHERTON, Calif. – Rallying back against Menlo's initial two-set advantage, Academy of Art volleyball connected on 15 kills to just four errors in a victorious third set, but the Oaks prevailed 3-1 (25-14, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22) inside their own Haynes-Prim Pavilion on Saturday in the teams' first-ever meeting.
After moving in front 11-6 to start the evening, Menlo secured six straight points and, though multiple blocks were delivered by the Urban Knights, the home team opened with a 25-14 win. That momentum seemed to carry into the second with Menlo again ahead 7-3 before two kills by freshman outside hitter
Kerrigan Habing sparked a 6-2 response to tie things up at 9-9. A 15-13 Oaks advantage turned into 21-14 as Menlo continued to roll to the 25-16 victory.
Sophomore outside hitter
Paola Divis sent down multiple kills during Academy of Art's 7-4 start to the third set though the Oaks came back to tie soon after. Neither side could gain much of a lead until scored five of seven points with senior setter
Elly McInerney registering the kill at 16-13. Separating from a 17-17 deadlock, ART U had three different Knights set up Habing for kills and that margin would never be relinquished as McInerney combined with graduate student middle blocker/outside hitter
Fina Tuinauvai for the 25-22 triumph.
Up 13-6 in the early stages of the fourth frame, Menlo withstood one Academy of Art comeback, a 6-2 push featuring kills from four Knights, went on a brief run, then managed to keep in front down the stretch for their own 25-22 final.
Academy of Art moves to 5-13 on the year and 4-6 in PacWest action with the day's result. Habing's team-best 16 kills marked her second-highest total of the season and were supported by nine kills from Divis. McInerney finished with 28 assists and nine digs (one shy of her seventh double-double), sophomore libero
LC-Reece Nakagawa and freshman libero/defensive specialist
Kyriah Trefren each had 10 digs, and graduate student opposite
Claire Ricard collected four block assists.
Menlo now stands at 6-11 overall and 3-7 in conference play. Hannah Torres logged a match-high 18 kills while Beatrice Manzon added 43 assists and Faith Oller totaled 24 digs.
At home three times in the coming week, ART U next hosts Fresno Pacific on Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. from Kezar Pavilion.
