SANTA CRUZ (10-16) – UC Santa Cruz returned home for the first time in two weeks and took on NAIA member Menlo College. The Banana Slugs and Oaks would trade sets and, in the end, the Banana Slugs won 3-2.

In the first set, the Banana Slugs would start on a 6-1 spurt capped by two Claire Okerlund service aces. The Banana Slugs would never trail in the set. The Oaks would come as close as one at 12-11 but the Banana Slugs finished on a 13-5 run to win the first set 25-16.

In the second set, the Banana Slugs would start the set on a 9-4 spurt capped by an attack error by the Oaks. From that point, the Oaks would go on a 15-10 spurt to tie the set at 19-19. The two teams traded points for the next six serves. The Oaks would score three of the last four points, however, and won the second set 26-24 to tie the match at 1-1.

In the third set, the Oaks would start on a 4-1 spurt before the Banana Slugs worked their way back into the set and tie it at 9-9 on an attack error by the Oaks. After the Oaks went on a 5-1 spurt for a 14-10 lead, the Banana Slugs answered with a 7-0 run, capped by a solo block by Isabella Hoglund, to take the lead at 17-14. The Oaks tied the set at 17-17 and took the lead at 24-23, but the Banana Slugs would score the final three points of the set to win 26-24 for a 2-1 lead in the match.

In the fourth set, the Banana Slugs would start the set on a 5-2 spurt but the Oaks would work their way back and would take the lead at 10-9. The Banana Slugs went on a 6-2 spurt, capped by an assisted block by Maddie Fowler and Holly Teisher, to take the lead at 15-12. The Oaks would then go on a 5-0 run to take the lead at 17-15. The Banana Slugs came back and would tie the set on three occasions before Menlo scored the final two points to win the fourth set 25-23 and tie the match at 2-2. 

In the fifth set, the Banana Slugs led from the beginning with a 6-3 spurt capped by Okerlund's kill. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the set at 14-8 on an Okerlund kill and won the fifth set 15-10 and the match 3-2.

For UC Santa Cruz, Maiya Sears had a match and career high twenty kills, including the emphatic match-winner. Cassie Nickel had a career-high seven aces. Kristen Whitney had sixteen kills for Menlo. Alana Susbilla had thirty-three assists for UC Santa Cruz and Pamela Dungo had forty-four for Menlo. Okerlund led the Banana Slugs with seventeen digs and Lucyanna Herrera had a match high twenty-five digs for the Oaks. 

For the match, UC Santa Cruz had a .161 hitting percentage with the best percentage coming in the first set at .370 while Menlo hit a .165 with the best percentage coming in the fourth set at .267. The Banana Slugs had eleven more digs (91-80) than did the Oaks.

The Banana Slugs will play their next three matches on the road, starting Saturday as they take on University of Redlands at 4 pm.