Box Score

#22 Vanguard def. #6 Fresno Pacific 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 29-27)

KaUwila Lavea had 16 kills and Jamie Heenan added 12 as the visiting Vanguard Lions upset the #6 Sunbirds in Fresno on Saturday. Martina Gregusova had 11 kills, but no other Sunbird had more than seven as FPU fell to 10-5, 6-2 in GSAC play.

Vanguard, which had taken top-10 teams like Concordia and Point Loma Nazarene to five sets this season, got the signature win they'd been looking for, improving to 15-8, 4-4 in GSAC play.

Once again the Sunbirds struggled in the serving game, with just two service aces on the day while allowing the Lions to rack up eight. FPU hit just over .140 for the first two sets, but looked much better in set three and appeared to have the momentum that could force the match to another set and beyond.

The team led 16-13 in set three before four straight Lion points allowed VU to regain the lead. The set featured an exciting finish with each team reaching set-point. With the score tied at 24, Jessie Alcorn hammered a kill to give the Sunbirds the lead. Vanguard quickly responded though with two kills by Lavea to bring the Sunbirds with a point of the loss.

Gregusova, staying calm and collected, delivered two tip kills and the set was knotted up at 27. An FPU block went out of bounds though to make it 28-27 Lions and Vanguard would win it on an Ashli Bellinger service ace that the Sunbirds let go thinking it would land out of bounds. Instead it was in by just an inch to give the Lions a victory over Fresno Pacific for just the fifth time in the program's history (in 59 matches play). It was Vanguard's first victory over FPU since 1993.

Alexandra Leja had 20 assists and 10 digs for the Lions and Carly Maxwell added 12 assists and 10 digs in the win. Emily Carroll led all players with 31 assists for FPU and Lyndsie Petersen did the same in digs with 14.

The Sunbirds look to right the ship on Tuesday, but they'll have to do it on the road against a #15 Biola team that is coming on strong in the conference standings. That match is scheduled for 7 pm and can be watched live (click the Live Video link on the Sunbird events calendar on gameday).