MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine men's volleyball team secured its fifth conference win of the season on Friday night against Menlo, posting 25-9, 26-24, and 25-22 set scores. 
The Waves held the Oaks to a .179 success rate tonight while posting a .397 offensive clip on 42 kills. Ryan Barnett led the offense once again, posting 15 kills on 21 swings while also adding two service aces and assisting on three blocks. Ethan Watson went a perfect six-for-six while attacking, assisting on five blocks through three sets, while Cole Hartke added 10 kills on a .304 hitting percentage and three service aces. 
 
BIG WAVES
Ryan Barnett (R-Jr./Westhampton Beach, N.Y./St. Edward's): 15 kills, .524 hitting %, 2 aces, 5 digs, three blocks 
Cole Hartke (Fr./Barrington, Ill./Barrington HS):10 kills, .304 %, 3 aces, 4 digs 
 
WAVES VS. OAKS
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          16        0          17        .941
2          12        6          29        .207
3          14        5          32        .281
TTL      42        11        78        .397
 
MENLO ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          4          7          17        -.176
2          13        3          24        .417
3          13        6          37        .189
TTL      30        16        78        .179
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Pepperdine came out in the first set keeping Menlo to only four kills and a -.176 hitting percentage throughout the short set. Ryan Barnett set the tone in the first set, tabbing five kills on six attempts while also assisting on a denial at the net. Five Waves hit a perfect 1.000 in the first set, allowing Pepperdine to secure a .941 offensive clip on 16 kills, taking the first set, 25-9. 
Throughout the second set, an offensive run from Menlo would change the momentum of the match in favor of the Oaks. The opposition hit a .417 percentage on 13 kills compared to Pepperdine's 12 kills on a .207 success rate. Menlo had three rejections at the net, while the Waves' were unable to serve any denials. The two squads were tied 11 times throughout the competitive set, and the lead changed three times. Barnett led the Waves through extra points, tabbing four kills and two service aces to propel Pepperdine ahead of Menlo and secure the set, 26-24. 
Set three was close throughout with 13 tied scores and four lead changes. Barnett led the set with six kills on seven swings, two blocks, and two digs, while Cole Hartke had five kills of his own. As a team, Pepperdine tallied 14 kills on a .281 hitting percentage while also serving four rejections at the net. The Waves' defensive efforts allowed them to take set three, 25-22, and the match, 3-0. 
 
UP NEXT
The Waves will face the Oaks again on Saturday at 4 p.m. and celebrate its seniors before the start of the match. 
 
FOLLOW
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter, @WavesVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @peppvolley.  Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.