Box Score

Fresno Pacific refused to back down after falling behind 2-0, taking control of the match in the final three sets to down Azusa Pacific 3-2 on Saturday for the team's 10th straight win.

Trailing 7-2 in the third set and in danger of getting swept, Emily Carroll and Kathleen Anderson sparked the Sunbirds to an 8-0 run to take the lead. It would turn into a 15-4 run and the Sunbirds wouldn't look back the rest of the way.

"At 7-2 we looked defeated. We were done," said head coach Kelly Winter, who called a timeout at that point. "We ended up changing our entire gameplan and strategy after the second set and the girls executed perfectly. Emily came in and served five or six in a row and from that point we looked like a different team. I couldn't be happier with the way the girls responded today and the way we battled back."

FPU came out flat in the first two sets and the Cougars would capitalize. APU (10-3, 2-2 PWC) came out and hit .364 in the first set, then held FPU to .032 hitting in set two as it seemed nothing could go the Sunbirds' way.

"Azusa played really smart in the first two sets against our block," said Winter.  "We weren't tested at all on Thursday and I think that hurt us today in the first two sets. We can't just go through the motions and expect to win, especially against a team as good as Azusa. We made some adjustments and the blocking game ended up being the difference in the match."

Anderson's nine blocks led the way with Erica Adachi adding eight, followed by Rupia Inck with five and Morghan Williams with four. Inck had 20 kills and 18 digs for FPU, while Anderson added 14 kills, nine blocks, four aces and a .480 attack percentage. Adachi was a force all day, adding 25 assists and 18 digs to her blocking game.

Carroll led the team with 26 assists and Hannah Butler was the defensive leader with 21 digs. Jessie Alcorn tallied nine kills and Williams chipped in with six on .417 hitting.

FPU was just two points away from dropping set three with the score knotted up 24-24 after the Cougars had used a 5-0 run to get back in it. Mikayla Tucker, a major catalyst off the bench, came up big though with a kill from Adachi before Adachi followed with a kill of her own from Anderson for the set win.

From that point, FPU just took over the match. The Cougars had no answer for Inck, Anderson and the Sunbird attack in set four and couldn't get anything going offensively against the Sunbird block. FPU would block the Cougars on the last four points of the set in the 25-14 win, giving the team momentum heading into the decisive fifth set.

Inck delivered a kill right away to set the tone for the final set and the Sunbirds jumped out to an 8-3 lead at the switch. Anderson delivered two service aces from there and Inck kept up the attack to bring the Sunbirds' to match-point. Williams would finish it off for FPU, on a great set from Carroll for the 15-8 victory.

The Sunbirds improved to 11-1, 3-0 in the PacWest, and now lead the all-time series with APU 64-9. The all-time winning percentage against the Cougars is the highest of any APU opponent with more than 50 all-time meetings.

FPU will take on Fresno State at the Save Mart Center on Tuesday night, a program the Sunbirds a 7-0 all-time against.

"I think this definitely helps us going into Fresno State," said Winter. "We were reminded today that we have to play our best on every single point. Fresno State has a great team and Tuesday night will be a great match for the community."

Tickets are $5 at the Save Mart Center the night of the match and $2 for FPU students/staff at the Student Life office. Fans are encouraged to wear orange.