Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SAN DIEGO – Fresno Pacific opened its 2014 season Friday by splitting a pair of games at Point Loma's Seaside Invitational. The Sunbirds began the day with a 3-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay before a 3-1 setback to Saginaw Valley State concluded day one.
 
Scores against CSUMB at Golden Gymnasium were 25-22, 22-25, 25-23 and 25-21 in a tightly contested match. It marked the season opener for both squads.
 
"We had a slow start and looked sloppy at times," said Winter. "It was a very up and down first couple of sets but we came out with a big win. Rupia, Gabriela and Morghan did a great job offensively and finished in double-digits kills. The three received a lot of sets throughout the game and did a great job of finishing."
 
Rupia Inck led the Sunbirds with a double-double of 20 kills and 15 digs, as did Bissie DenHartog with a team-high 27 assists and a co-game high 19 digs. Gabriela Macedo recorded 15 kills in her first collegiate match, while Morghan Williams was the final Sunbird in double-digit kills with 12 on .429 hitting.
 
After each team took a set, FPU found itself down in the third 21-16 before closing the game on a 9-2 run to win 25-23. The Sunbirds scored the final six points, fueled by Kathleen Anderson's two straight kills to knot the set at 23. Macedo followed with a kill before Ink sealed the game with an ace.
 
The Sunbirds closed out the win by holding the Otters to a .158 attack percentage in the 25-21 fourth set.
 
Hannah Butler finished with a co-game high 19 digs for the Sunbird defense and Chelsea Speaks dished out 21 assists.
 
CSUMB was led by 23 kills, a game-high, from Jessica Malcolm and 37 assists, also a game-high, from Kelsey Johnston.
 
In the nightcap, scores were 21-25, 25-27, 25-16 and 16-25 in favor of Saginaw Valley State.
 
The Sunbirds were limited to .081 hitting in the four sets and committed 36 errors in the loss. Inck led FPU with another double-double of 14 kills and 11 digs, but was held to a .042 attack percentage.  She was the lone Sunbird in double-digit kills. Macedo recorded nine kills.
 
"You can't win with that many errors offensively," said Winter. "Our pass defense was not very good and our setting needs to improve. We just weren't doing the little things to win a game."
 
FPU was able to hold SVSU to .108 hitting on the night, but was out-blocked 12-7 in the loss.  The Cardinals were led by Kelsey Ferla's 14 kills and four blocks.
 
DenHartog supplied her second double-double of the season with 23 assists and 14 digs, while Butler finished with a game-high 28 digs.
 
The Sunbirds held leads of 19-17 and 22-19 in sets one and two, respectively, but were not able to finish out the wins. In set three, FPU hit a game-high .314 and recorded 15 kills to win easily, leading by 21-11 at one point. The Cardinal clinched the win in the fourth, a set the Sunbirds hit -.050 in.
 
"This only hurts if we don't come out tomorrow and get better," said Winter. "We are a very talented team, but we need to consistently play at a high level to achieve the success we want."
 
The Sunbirds continue play at the Seaside Invitational tomorrow with two games. FPU opens with Cal State Dominguez Hills at 9 a.m. before facing Metro State at 3:30 p.m. in San Diego.