THE SCHEDULE
Match #12
at BYU-Hawaii (4-12, 2-5)
Wednesday, Oct. 12 • 10:30 p.m. PST
Laie, Hawaii • George Q. Cannon Activities Center
Live Stats • Video
 
Match #13
at Hawai'i Pacific (9-7, 5-2)
Thursday, Oct. 13 • 10 p.m. PST
Honolulu • St. Andrew's Priory
Live Stats • Video
 
Match #14
at Hawai'i Hilo (5-7, 3-4)
Saturday, Oct. 15 • 10 p.m. PST
Hilo, Hawaii • UHH Gymnasium
Live Stats • Video  
 
WEEKLY RECAP
Fresno Pacific swept visiting Holy Names last Wednesday night behind a double-double of 15 kills and 14 digs from Karah Mitchell. Set scores were 25-11, 25-23 and 25-21 in favor of the Sunbirds. Mitchell's 15 kills and 14 digs were both game highs, as the junior totaled her fifth-straight double-double. Montana Lowe had a stellar night in the middle with 14 kills on .542 hitting and added one solo block and four digs, while Carley Bock put down eight kills. Bissie DenHartog amassed a game-high 39 assists and added eight digs.
 
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN
For her efforts against Point Loma on Sept. 23, FPU's Hailey Hilvers was awarded the PacWest Freshman of the Week on Monday. It marked the first such distinction for Hilvers. Her 13 kills were a career high, besting her previous high of five in the season opener against Concordia (Ore.). More
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Three Sunbirds have recorded double-doubles this season, with Karah Mitchell leading the team with six on the year.
- Mitchell – 11 kills, 10 digs vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
- Mitchell – 22 kills, 13 digs vs. Dominican (9/19)
- Mitchell – 22 kills, 19 digs vs. Point Loma (9/23)
- Mitchell – 15 kills, 13 digs vs. Hawai'i Pacific (9/28)
- Mitchell – 26 kills, 20 digs vs. California Baptist (10/1)
- Mitchell – 15 kills, 14 digs vs. Holy Names (10/5)
- Bissie DenHartog – 32 assists, 10 digs at SF State (9/9)
- DenHartog – 45 assists, 12 digs vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
- DenHartog – 60 assists, 11 digs vs. Dominican (9/19)
- DenHartog – 49 assists, 10 digs vs. Hawai'i Pacific (9/28)
- DenHartog – 57 assists, 11 digs vs. California Baptist (10/1)
- Jasmine Phoolka – 13 kills, 11 digs vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
 
MATCH HIGHS
Kills: Karah Mitchell (26) vs. California Baptist (10/1)
Hitting Percentage (min. 12 kills): Hailey Hilvers (.550) vs. Point Loma (9/23)
Assists: Bissie DenHartog (60) vs. Dominican (9/19)
Digs: Chelsea Speaks (38) vs. Dominican (9/8)
Aces: Chelsea Speaks (4) vs. Concordia (Ore.) (9/8); Carley Bock (4) vs. Concordia (Ore.) (9/8)
Blocks: Hailey Hilvers (8) vs. Hawai'i Pacific (9/28)
 
ROSTER NOTES
- The Sunbirds return eight student-athletes from last season, including starters Gabriela Macedo (All-PacWest, 2.90 K/S), setter Bissie DenHartog (9.84 A/S), Sarah McCann (1.77 K/S) and Montana Lowe (2.29 K/S, .303). In addition, FPU returns Chelsea Speaks, Carley Bock, Madison Pierce and Alyshia Bier as key contributors.
- The Sunbirds also welcomed back Karah Mitchell, who last competed in 2012 as an outside hitter, and Jasmine Phoolka, who took a redshirt season a year ago.
- FPU added four newcomers on the roster this season: Christina Tran, Sierra LeBeau, Hailey Hilvers and Halle Neher.
- Morghan Williams and Hannah Butler, both All-PacWest performers, graduated after stellar careers with the Sunbirds.
 
PACWEST PRESEASON POLL
FPU was picked to finish eighth in the 2016 PacWest standings, as voted on in the preseason poll by the league's 14 head coaches. California Baptist was voted to top the poll with 189 points and eight first-place votes, while defending champion Dixie State was second with 180 points and five first-place votes. Point Loma (158 points), Concordia (131), Azusa Pacific (127), Chaminade (121) and BYU-Hawaii (116, one first-place vote) rounded out the top seven ahead of FPU. Hawaii Pacific (92), Hawaii Hilo (68), Academy of Art (60), Dominican (51), Notre Dame de Namur (41) and Holy Names (21) landed in the final six spots of the poll.
 
SUNBIRD NOTES
Bissie DenHartog currently ranks eighth all-time in career assists with 2,965 in the FPU record book….the senior also ranks eighth in single season assists with 987 in 2013, while her 895 from last season ranks 10th on the list….she also sits in eighth and ninth in assists per set at 10.81 (2013) and 9.84 ('15), respectively….DenHartog has totaled 30 or more assists in nine out of 11 games this season, with a season-high of 60….Karah Mitchell leads the Sunbirds in kills this year, as the junior has totaled 10 or more in nine of 11 games….Mitchell put down a career-high 26 kills twice and also added a career-best 20 digs against CBU….four Sunbirds have made their college debuts this season: Jasmine Phoolka, Hailey Hilvers, Christina Tran and Halle Neher….the Sunbirds welcomed back three former players on the coaching staff this season: head coach Tracy Ainger-Schulte, lead assistant Brittany Henderson (Pierce) and assistant Michelle Gibson (Johnson).
 
ABOUT THE SEASIDERS
BYU-Hawaii currently sits at 4-12 overall and 2-5 in league action. The Seasiders most recently suffered a sweep at the hands of Academy of Art at home last Saturday. BYUH ranks in the lower half of the league in offense, as the Seasiders are 12th in the PacWest in hitting percentage (.140). Sinamoni Tonga is the go-to player for BYUH and leads the team in kills per set at 3.37. She has recorded three triple-doubles on the year, which ranks first in the conference and third in the nation. Penina Sao leads the team defensively and averages 3.94 digs per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday's match will be the 16th meeting between the two teams. BYU-Hawaii holds a 10-5 all-time series advantage. Each team earned a sweep last season, as BYUH won in Hawaii and FPU was victorious in Fresno.
 
ABOUT THE SHARKS
Hawai'i Pacific enters the match at 9-7 overall and 5-2 in the PacWest. The Sharks are coming off a 3-0 victory over Academy of Art in Hawaii. Pomai Recca leads the HPU offense and averages 4.27 kills per set, while Perla Esobar averages 2.87 K/S. Mahea Pescala and Sierra Dawson facilitate the offense and average 5.21 and 4.43 assists per set, respectively, and Amanda Acosta leads the defense with 4.15 digs per set. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's match will be the 14th meeting between the two programs. FPU holds a 10-3 advantage in the all-time series. The Sharks defeated the Sunbirds earlier this season in five sets behind 19 kills from Pomai Recca.
 
ABOUT THE VULCANS
Hawai'i Hilo, currently 5-7 overall and 3-4 in the PacWest, enters on a two-game losing streak. The Vulcans most recently fell to Chaminade 3-0 and hosts Concordia on Thursday ahead of Saturday's matchup. Marley Strand-Nicolasien is the team leader in kills per set at 3.94 and Sienna Davis averages 9.29 assists per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for the 12th time, with FPU leading the all-time series 8-3. The season series was split last season with each team winning at home by scores of 3-1.
 
HEAD COACH TRACY AINGER-SCHULTE
Head coach Tracy Ainger-Schulte is in her first season at the helm of the Sunbirds. An FPU alum and Hall of Famer, Ainger-Schulte returns to her alma mater after nine seasons as the head coach at Fresno City College. Prior to coaching at FCC, Ainger-Schulte spent three years on staff at FPU (2003-05) where she worked her way up to associate head coach. She was an integral part of the coaching staff for the program's 2003 national championship team. Considered by many to be the greatest individual athlete in FPU Athletics history, Ainger-Schulte played at FPU from 1994-96 leading the Sunbirds to three straight GSAC titles and two NAIA Final Fours. She was a three-time First Team All-American with her career culminating in being named the 1996 NAIA National Player of the Year. Despite playing just three seasons, she ranks first in program history in career digs (2,618) and digs per set (6.84), second in kills per set (4.54) and third in overall kills (1,737). Her 1,032 digs (7.22 per set) in 1994 remains the single-season school record. She holds FPU records for most digs in a match with 61 and most aces in a match with 12 (twice). Her #11 jersey is the only number in FPU Athletics' history to be retired. She has been inducted into three Hall of Fames: the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2003, the FPU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
 
SHOP FPU
The Fresno Pacific Department of Athletics is proud to announce the opening of a Team Store that can be accessed on ShopFPU.com. Fans and students can now purchase apparel for all 14 athletic teams, along with numerous other items, throughout of the 2016-17 season.
 
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