The Menlo-Atherton Bears varsity volleyball team came to play Halloween night, easily defeating the Lady Scots in four sets.

The Bears had the lead throughout the first set but were unable to pull away, with the set ending 25-21 Bears.  The Bears then proceeded to crush the Lady Scots in the second set 25-16.  In the third set, the Lady Scots jumped to an 11-5 lead.

Forcing the Bears to call their first timeout of the match.  The Lady Scots then got to a 21-16 lead before the Bears rallied and tied the set at 22.

The two teams were neck and neck from then on, with each getting out to one point leads but neither could grasp the killer two point lead needed to win the game until the Lady Scots finally won and kept their hopes alive with a 31-29 set three win.

The fourth set had the Bears take an early 5-0 lead  before the Lady Scots came back and made the set a close won before the Bears won the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.

Sophomore and starter Elena Mateus was forced out of the lineup for the game as she sprained her ankle at practice the night before.

Mateus said it was “stressful” to watch her team from the sidelines but that they did “a really good job” and “Alex Lay and April Smith really stepped up to the plate” in her absence.

Coach Chris Crader commended his team for “playing really hard,” but that Menlo-Atherton had “two really, really good hitters” and the Lady Scots “couldn’t match their firepower.”

Senior Charlotte Jackman said, “A lot of individuals did good things,” but there were “streaks where we let up a lot.”

The loss to Menlo-Atherton pushed the Lady Scots back to third place ahead of their senior night game against San Mateo.