For the Fresno Pacific Women's Water Polo team the 2014 season will be a mixture of returning experienced players from last year coupled with young fresh faces, a combination that has the Sunbirds optimistic about the upcoming season. 

Returning several key players in conjunction with an energetic freshman class will help as the team looks to overcome the loss of two senior leaders, Jennifer Cobb and All-American Dani Mortimer. The returning players gained valuable experience throughout the 2013 season as they faced top programs including Harvard, UC Davis, and Brown.

"Last year we had eight games that were decided by four goals or less," said head coach Bryan Suhovy. "Our women are hungry to change that and adding eight new players will add much needed depth and versatility for our team."

Veteran experience along with the addition of two Division I transfers will be showcased as the team gets set to play its most challenging lineup of opponents yet. The Sunbirds will host preseason #14- ranked Loyola Marymount and #2-ranked Stanford on March 8.  During tournament play the Sunbirds will face elite teams from across the nation including the defending NCAA Champions USC as well as Brown and Michigan. Throughout the season, the Sunbirds will be competing against nine schools that are nationally ranked in preseason polls. 

The tough schedule continues into the conference season as FPU moves into the newly formed Golden Coast Conference. The GCC consists of seven universities from across the state and features four Division I programs: Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego State and Santa Clara. The other members include FPU rivals Cal Baptist and Azusa Pacific. The GCC features a conference schedule in which each team will play each other once and the final conference standings will then decide seeding for the annual conference championship. The inaugural GCC Championships will take place April 24-26 and is going to be hosted by Loyola Marymount. 

Defense is going to be a focus of the Sunbirds program in 2014 and the key component is returning All-American Kelsie Harvey, a junior from Clovis who has spent the last two years establishing herself as one of the premier goalkeepers on the west coast. Harvey is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign in which she earned second team ACWPC NCAA Division II All-American, CCAA Invitational Tournament second team, and ACWPC All-Academic honors. She will be the backbone of a team that will make things difficult for opposing offenses.

"A strong defense starts in the cage," said Suhovy. "With Kelsie's skill and experience she is an anchor for the team. She is able of providing leadership and confidence to our defensive players." 

Offensive production will come from a young talented group, and will be a collaborative effort throughout the season. This season there are going to be five or six scoring threats on the attack during every play. There is a strong balance amongst the team working together with capability to score from the post or from the inside. 

Senior Brenna Woods along with the three co-captains; Harvey, Mallory Rettig, and Nia Apodaca will provide experience and leadership for this young Sunbirds team. Woods is an established utility player that can make plays across the pool. 

"Brenna shows great dedication in and out of the water," said Suhovy. " She has a strong desire to see her team improve in her final season as a Sunbird." 

Apodaca a red-shirt sophomore has stepped up in a leadership role this season and is a key utility player for the team. She possesses a strong outside shot and will transition into the inside to help guide the offensive efforts. Rettig, who returns after missing last season due to injury, will be a fixture in the defense for the Sunbirds this season. She has a strong understanding of the game, which allows her to anticipate plays from the opposition in addition to being able to drive forward without missing a beat. 

The Sunbirds return upperclassmen junior driver Samantha Clark, senior driver Bree Stevens, sophomore driver Emily Marr and sophomore utility Candice Cobarrubias, from the 2013 season.

"Emily is coming off of a stellar freshman year," said Suhovy. "These returning players bring a wealth of knowledge gained while playing with a 10-person roster. Each player has shown tremendous growth from last season. Last year they worked hard and saw a glimpse of what they can achieve."

The Sunbirds are going to integrate eight new players into the fold this season. A six-member freshman class and two Division I transfers.

Kaeli Hanson comes to FPU as a transfer from Cal State Northridge and will be taking over the center position vacated by Cobb's graduation.  She was a member of the team placing third in the Big West Conference.  

Alyssa Stevens competed for San Diego State where she played for two seasons with the Aztecs. She brings a great understanding of the game along with a strong ability to guard shooters. She is going to be a strong leader from the back along with Cobarrubias.  

"The combination of these two transfers gives us a huge boost," said Suhovy. "They've already shown us that during the preseason by bring an intensity and level of confidence that has caught on across the team." 

Kaitlin Fletcher, a local product, was a standout player at Clovis East High School. She was the team MVP for two years and brings a lot of experience.

"Kaitlin has a great view and understanding for the game," said Suhovy. "She'll be able to adapt to the faster pace of college play and step into the void from last year's seniors."

Caitlin Grimmett-Cook comes from Heritage High School in Brentwood where she played all four years and was a first team All-League in 2013 and 2012 as well as team MVP in 2013. Caitlin was the team leading scorer her sophomore year which earned second team All-League honors in 2011. Shannon Hallstrom played for West Hanford High School where she was a member of the WYL Championship team in 2013. Mikayla Starbeck hails from El Dorado High School in Yorba Linda where she was the 2013 MVP for her team. 

"These three freshmen bring a lot of raw talent to the team," said Suhovy. "They are eager to learn and have shown massive improvements during our preseason."

Joining the Sunbirds squad from Porterville High School are goalie Courtney Hall and driver Mikayla Scheer. Hall will be sitting behind Harvey gaining experience under her wing and tutelage. Scheer was a first-team All-League selection her senior year. 

"These are two very talented young players," said Suhovy. "Mikayla has a very strong shot and we'll look to get her a lot of experience this year. Hall shows potential to be a strong goaltender in the GCC and will be able to learn from working with Kelsie."

The Sunbirds will open their season on Saturday, Jan. 18 as they travel to the Bay Area to face Cal State East Bay. The following weekend the team will head to the UCSB Winter Invitational facing Cal Baptist at 12:30 p.m. and #5- Cal Berkeley (6:20 p.m.) on the Friday, Jan. 24 then face #11- San Jose State at 11:20 a.m. and Whittier (5:40 p.m.) on Saturday. 

"I am excited about the potential this year's team has," said Suhovy. "Our girls are showing the heart and commitment that is needed to compete in our new conference. We are a young and ambitious team, beginning a new era in FPU water polo history. We are returning some key players and the addition of several new faces provides us with the depth that we missed last year. I feel we are going to have a tremendous amount of growth this season as we step into the competitive world of NCAA water polo."