THE SCHEDULE
Match #18
vs. Dixie State (14-8, 10-4)
Monday, Oct. 31 • 7 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. • Special Events Center
Live Stats • Video
 
Match #19
at Notre Dame de Namur (6-17, 4-11)
Thursday, Nov. 3 • 7 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. • Walter Gleason Gymnasium
Live Stats • Video
 
Match #20
vs. Azusa Pacific (10-13, 6-8)
Saturday, Nov. 5 • 3 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. • Special Events Center
Live Stats • Video  
 
TRUNK OR TREAT
FPU is hosting a Trunk or Treat event on Halloween before the game against Dixie State. The event will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Fitness Center parking lot. The festivities will continue into the game where a costume contest will take place in-between sets two and three.


 















WEEKLY RECAP
FPU outlasted Point Loma in five sets on Saturday for the second time this season. Set scores from Golden Gymnasium were 25-20, 18-25, 22-25, 25-20 and 15-8 in favor of the Sunbirds. Karah Mitchell led the Sunbirds with 20 kills and 14 digs, while Jasmine Phoolka put down a career-best 16 kills and added 12 digs. Bissie DenHartog also added a double-double of 52 assists and 19 digs, while Chelsea Speaks added a team-high 21 digs. Montana Lowe chipped in with 14 kills and six blocks.
 
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 and Bissie DenHartog leading the team with nine apiece on the year and Jasmine Phoolka adding four. DenHartog has recorded a double-double in four straight matches. Check out the complete list by clicking here.
 
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: Montana Lowe (9) vs. BYU-Hawaii (10/12)
 
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
The Sunbirds have put together a three-game winning streak….Bissie DenHartog currently ranks seventh all-time in career assists with 3,215 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 14 out of 17 games this season, with a season-high of 60 and ranks second in the PacWest in assists per set (10.57)….Karah Mitchell leads the Sunbirds in kills this year, as the junior has totaled 10 or more in 13 of 17 games….Mitchell put down a career-high 26 kills and added a career-best 20 digs against CBU….Chelsea Speaks leads the defense with 307 digs, which is a career high….the senior has a season high of 38 digs, which is also a career high….Montana Lowe leads the team in hitting percentage at .340, which marks a career best and ranks second in the PacWest….the senior added a career best nine blocks against BYU-Hawaii….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 TRAILBLAZERS
Dixie State enters at 14-8 overall and 10-4 in the PacWest. The Trailblazers are winners of two straight, the latest coming against Academy of Art in straight sets. DSU ranks atop the conference in aces per set (1.74), second in blocks per set (2.27) and fourth in hitting percentage (.191). Delayne Daniel leads the offense and averages 3.46 kills per set, while Taylor Duryea adds 2.69 kills per set. Kailey Frei facilitates the offense and dishes out 9.42 assists per set, while Sidney Brandon heads the defense with a digs per set average of 4.76.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Monday's match will be the sixth meeting between the two teams. Dixie State holds a 3-2 all-time series advantage. Each team earned a victory last season, as DSU won in Fresno and FPU was victorious in St. George.
 
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS
Notre Dame de Namur currently sits at 6-17 overall and 4-11 in league action. NDNU has lost three straight, most recently falling to Dominican at home in straight sets. The Argonauts rank second in the PacWest in digs per set (17.98). Bianca Alvarez leads the team and the PacWest in kills per set at 4.99, while setter Magaret Billingsley dishes out 9.30 assists per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's match will be the 21st meeting between the two programs. FPU holds an 18-2 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams split the season series last year with each squad winning on its home court.
 
ABOUT THE COUGARS
Azusa Pacific currently holds a 10-13 overall record and a 6-8 mark in the PacWest. The Cougars face Academy of Art on Tuesday prior to Saturday's match with the Sunbirds. APU most recently fell to Concordia in Azusa 3-1. The Cougars rank in the middle of the pack in several categories in the PacWest, including fourth in blocks per set (1.99), fourth in digs per set (16.74) and sixth in kills per set (12.33). Julianne Miller leads the team in kills per set at 2.47 and also adds 1.00 block per set. She ranks atop the conference in total blocks with 98.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for the 79th time, with FPU leading the all-time series 64-14. Azusa Pacific defeated the Sunbirds in straight sets last season in Azusa.
 
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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