In its first NCAA Division II season, Fresno Pacific made it clear right off the bat that the program would experience no drop-off in success despite the jump in competition.

With a talented roster that included head coach Kelly Winter's first recruiting class, the Sunbirds went 28-4, finishing second out of 14 teams in the PacWest with a 15-1 conference record.

The team would fall literally just a couple points short of a conference title, falling in a tightly-contested five-set match with eventual champion BYU-Hawaii. In that match however the Sunbirds sent a message to the Seasiders, and to the rest of the league, that FPU is here to stay and that a BYUH conference title may no longer be a sure thing.

The Sunbirds also cracked the NCAA Division II national Top 10, the only team transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA to do so in any sport, and finished the year at #14 after a tough-luck loss to Shorter (Ga.) to end the season.

The Sunbirds return some core players from last season's team and enter the year ranked #12 in the national poll as they look to continue to solidify their place among Division II's elite. Winter also added six recruits to the mix, many of whom will see the court right away.

"I'm very excited about this upcoming season," said Winter. "We have a lot of veteran players returning and added some new freshmen that bring a lot to the team. What really impresses me is the cohesiveness of this team. We have played so well together and I expect that to continue this season."

Hitters (OH/RS/OPP)

The focal point of the offensive attack is junior outside hitter Rupia Inck, who's coming off a season in which she was named first team All-PacWest and NCCAA West Region player of the year.

Inck gives the Sunbirds not only a powerful outside hitter, but an all-around player that posted 12 double-doubles last season and was among team leaders in kills, blocks, digs and service aces. She averaged nearly four kills per set a year ago while hitting .239.

Winter expects that attack percentage to improve in 2013, which does not bode well for Sunbird opponents. Inck will look to become more consistent and cement herself as the league's top player at a premier position.

Joining her in the lineup is senior Jessie Alcorn, who combined with Inck forms a duo unmatched in the PacWest in terms of sheer power. Alcorn is a complete player that, when dialed-in, can be among the league's best. She'll be relied upon heavily as a senior and is primed for a breakout season.

"Jessie is jumping higher and hitting harder than I have ever seen," said Winter. "We're expecting a lot out of her and she's taking on a bigger role than she had last year. Obviously having Rupia back is huge and we're really excited about those two as a combo."

Winter brought in multiple newcomers to add depth to this group, with some of the top players in the Valley eager to be a part of the Sunbird program.

Freshman outside hitter Hailey Jennings (Sanger HS) was CMAC player of the year last season while leading Sanger to its first conference title after a long drought. Jennings is an exciting, versatile player that could see time right away.

Junior outside hitter Toni Murphy joins the team from Fresno City College, where she earned first team all-state honors and was conference MVP.

Also joining the team is freshman Montana Lowe (Clovis HS). Lowe, a three-sport star who played middle blocker in high school, will likely shift over to a right-side hitter spot.

Returners providing depth include Lyndsie Petersen and Alyse Arentz, as well as senior Callie Kloubec, who made the team this season after completing a successful career with the FPU women's basketball program.

Middle Blockers

The Sunbirds will have a big hole to fill at the middle blocker position, as All-American Kathleen Anderson will redshirt following offseason surgery. Anderson, by far the team's most consistent player, led the team in blocks and attack percentage last season.

With Anderson sidelined, the Sunbirds will look for a big year out of sophomore Morghan Williams, the other starter at the middle blocker spot last season. During her freshman season Williams improved dramatically from start to finish and by the end of the year was among the league's best. She finished the year second on the team with a .299 attack percentage.

Sophomore Rebecca Waller spent much of her freshman season in a reserve role, but provided the team with quality minutes when called upon. She'll now see time in the starting lineup alongside Williams.

"Now that they've got their first year under their belts we're expecting a lot out of them," said Winter. "They're capable of going on the attack as well. We've got offense coming from everywhere, not just our two big hitters."

Junior Amy Siemens, who can also slide over to an opposite hitter position, provides depth at middle blocker.

Setters

The biggest question mark heading into the season is the setter position, where the Sunbirds will have to replace NCCAA national player of the year Erica Adachi and another All-PacWest selection, Emily Carroll, both of whom shared the position for the last four years.

Though the Sunbirds will be young and untested at the position, they boast two very talented freshmen that will get a chance to facilitate the offense right away.

Bissie DenHartog joins the team after a highly-successful career at Buchanan High School where she was named TRAC co-player of the year as a senior. DenHartog brings a lot of athleticism to the setter position, can play in a fast-paced offense and is an active player that contributes all over the court.

The Sunbirds went out of the area for their other top setter recruit, adding Chelsea Speaks from Eastlake High School outside of San Diego. Speaks is also capable of running the offense at a quick pace, and the two have already begun to impress their teammates.

"Bissie and Chelsea have come a long way," said Alcorn. "Even just in these last two weeks of practice there's been big improvement. Spreading the offense, knowing where our blockers are setting up; they're doing a really good job pushing the pace of the game. Our offense is a lot quicker than it was last year and they've really been able to adjust to the speed of the game, which is a big adjustment coming from the high school level."

Liberos

As a freshman, Hannah Butler already began to establish herself as the next premier libero in a program with a rich tradition of developing elite players at that position. She was a thorn in the side of opposing hitters all season, averaging five and a half digs per set and recording at least 20 digs 16 different times, while also leading the team in service aces.

Heading into this season, Butler has been named the PacWest's preseason libero of the year and will look to build on a sensational freshman campaign.

"We have one of the best defensive teams in the country," said Winter. "Hannah is obviously a tremendous libero for us and is the heart of our defense, but many of our more offensive-minded players can play back and dig some balls at a very high level as well."

The Sunbirds added depth to the position in the offseason with the addition of Rachel Brown from Martin Luther King High School in Riverside. While listed at libero, Brown is a versatile player that could see time at any number of positions.

PacWest Preview

Though the Sunbirds pushed them to the limit last season, BYU Hawaii remains the favorite to take home the conference title. The Seasiders begin the year ranked #5 in the nation and were picked to win the PacWest after receiving nine of the possible 13 first-place votes in the PacWest preseason poll.

FPU received three first-place votes and is picked second, while being ranked #12 nationally in the preseason top 25. California Baptist had one first-place vote and is receiving votes in the national poll. Those three should battle for the conference title all season.

Other contenders that could break into the top group include Azusa Pacific and Hawaii Pacific. Point Loma hopes to be much improved while Academy of Art, despite being picked eighth, has a lot of talent and could be a darkhorse candidate to contend this season.

"The PacWest last year was very big on defense, whereas our previous conference the GSAC was very focused on offense," said Alcorn. "The rallies were so much longer last year and we're more prepared this time around. Our rallies in practice are going for minutes and we are a lot more in shape. We're adapting to that style of play."

Matchups to Watch
*All home games will have free video broadcasts and livestats at the following link. Most road games will have livestats as well, available on the team schedule page or the calendar on the home page. Updates can also be found on Twitter (@fpusunbirds).

Sept. 13 vs. Cal State San Bernardino @ UCSD Invitational

This matchup features the #12-ranked Sunbirds vs. the #14-ranked Coyotes on a neutral court. CSUSB is the traditional in-state power in Division II volleyball and is two years removed from a national title match appearance.

This match, as well as FPU's match the following day with host #22 UC San Diego, will go a long way in determining where the Sunbirds stand in comparison to the rest of the West Region, as well as how the PacWest as a conference compares to the CCAA.

Oct. 2 vs. Hawaii Hilo (home opener), 7 pm

The long-awaited home opener finally takes place 11 games into the season. The Sunbirds will be hoping for a big home crowd as they take on the Vulcans in PacWest play.

Oct. 7 vs. BYU Hawaii, 7 pm

Last season the conference title came down to this match, as the Seasiders knocked off the Sunbirds in a five-set thriller. This time around, the teams will match up twice beginning with this Monday night match in Fresno.  The teams match up again on October 23 in Hawaii.

BYUH returns the majority of its team from last season that reached the NCAA semifinals, including conference player of the year Shih Teng Cheng.

Nov. 1 vs. Azusa Pacific, 7 pm

This will be a rematch of last season's NCCAA West Region title match, won by the Sunbirds. With both teams ineligible for NCAA postseason play this season while transitioning, the NCCAA West Region will likely come down to FPU-APU once again.

Nov. 16 vs. California Baptist, 3 pm

A rivalry game with potential playoff and conference title implications, coupled with the fact that it comes on senior day, should make this regular-season finale a must-see match.

The Sunbirds open the season this Friday at the Nanook Classic in Alaska where they'll face NCAA tournament team Colorado Christian in the opener, followed by Humboldt State and Alaska Fairbanks. Winter is optimistic heading into the season, pointing to the team's camaraderie and commitment to the team goals of winning the PacWest and winning the NCCAA national title in Florida.

"This team has been incredibly focused and disciplined," said Winter. "They've been improving every day and doing exactly what we're telling them to do. Our defense is outstanding. They're going after every ball, they're not letting anything drop and offensively we're getting better every day. If we can just keep that improvement and keep the focus throughout the season I think we'll put ourselves in great position to make it back to Florida."