UKIAH – The Mendocino College Women’s Volleyball team notched a key win on the road in Oakland on Friday October 5, beating Laney College three games to one.

“Our young ladies showed a lot of maturity tonight. They played through some rough spots and kept a good energy on the court,” noted Mendocino Head Coach Ori Polkinghorne.

Mendocino came out shaky in game one, losing 19-30, as Laney’s Jaydelynn Kaleinani-Sauva showed her strength at the net and the service line.

“She was a one-woman wrecking-crew,” Polkinghorne said.

After making some adjustments, the Eagles were able to overpower Laney in the next three games 30-19, 30-25, and 30-22.

Sophomore Jamie Brown (Potter Valley) was a force at the net for Mendocino with 10 kills and five key blocks, several of which were against Kaleinani-Sauva. Sophomore setter Jenny Stark (Clearlake) paced the Mendocino attack by distributing 32 assists and serving up four key aces.

For the second time in a week, the Eagles were saved by spectacular serving. Against Laney, Mendocino was able to put down 26 aces. Leading the way was freshman outside hitter Jenn Cox (Upper Lake), who had 9 aces and kept pressure on the Laney defense all night.

Freshman Angela Newell (Fort Bragg) made a notable contribution on defense for the Eagles. Newell stepped in at the Libero position for the injured Sarah Luetke (Yreka) and delivered 11 digs and an overall solid performance.

“Angela always steps up for us, no matter what she is asked to do, she is talented and versatile,” Polkinghorne said.

Mendocino is now 3-1 in Bay Valley Conference play and 6-7 overall. The Eagles travel to Napa Valley College on Wednesday and play at home versus Yuba College Friday night. Match time is set for 6:30 pm.

For information concerning Mendocino College Athletics, visit www.mendocino.edu.

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