The Menlo School volleyball team made sure there would be no repeat of the last time these teams met, and swept visiting Sacred Heart Prep 25-22, 25-21, 25-21 at home Tuesday.
The Knights improve to 5-1 and the Gators are 5-2 in West Bay Athletic League play.
Menlo senior outside Cleo Hardin put down 17 kills while junior Lily Kautai distributed 34 assists . Sophomore libero Ava Wang picked up 16 digs and three aces.
Wang was serving when Menlo threw a curveball at SHP for match point. Hardin had just laid down a cross-court kill before a rally ensued. The Gators had lobbed one over the net, sophomore Kinsey Nam dove from the right sideline and dug the ball up, cross court so that it dropped right over the net. Nam has a handful of kills this season, but this fourth one came up big.
“That was the most satisfying to see that set go into the net (on the return attempt),” Nam said.
The match victory “was amazing. It’s something we’ve been fighting for all season.”
The first time the teams met, SHP won 3-1 at home. This time, they played with fewer unforced errors and a revitalized approach.
“I think the energy was the difference. Our coaches have been talking about always striving for better, never settling,” Kautai said. “I feel like there was a lot of fight in us tonight and I feel like that’s what carried us through.”