THE SCHEDULE
Match #5
at Concordia (9-0)
Friday, Sept. 16 • 7 p.m.
Irvine, Calif. • CU Arena
Live Stats • Video
 
Match #6
at California Baptist (5-3)
Saturday, Sept. 17 • 5 p.m.
Riverside, Calif. • Van Dyne Gym
Live Stats • Video
 
The Fresno Pacific volleyball team opens PacWest play this week with two road matches down South. FPU faces Concordia in Irvine on Friday at 7 p.m. before traveling to Riverside on Saturday to take on California Baptist at 5 p.m.
 
PACWEST OPENERS
FPU is 3-1 all-time in PacWest openers since joining the conference in 2012. Here is a breakdown of the four matches:
- W 3-1 over Dominican (2015)
- L 3-1 vs. Point Loma (2014)
- W 3-1 over Notre Dame de Namur (2013)
- W 3-0 over Grand Canyon (2012)

WEEKLY RECAP
The Sunbirds are coming off a 2-2 weekend at the West Region Volleyball Showcase in San Francisco. FPU defeated Concordia (Ore.) in the season opener and also earned a victory over San Francisco State during the showcase. Most recently, the Sunbirds faced NCAA Division I Fresno State in the annual crosstown exhibition at the Save Mart Center on Monday. FPU battled tough but fell in straight sets to the Bulldogs. Montana Lowe and Jasmine Phoolka led the way with eight kills apiece, while Bissie DenHartog added 28 assists.
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Three Sunbirds have recorded double-doubles this season, with Bissie DenHartog leading the team with two on the year.
- DenHartog – 32 assists, 10 digs at SF State (9/9)
- DenHartog – 45 assists, 12 digs vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
- Karah Mitchell – 11 kills, 10 digs vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
- Jasmine Phoolka – 13 kills, 11 digs vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
 
MATCH HIGHS
Kills: Karah Mitchell (14) vs. Concordia (Ore.) (9/8)
Assists: Bissie DenHartog (45, twice) at SF State (9/8), vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
Digs: Chelsea Speaks (26) vs. Concordia (Ore.) (9/8)
Aces: Chelsea Speaks (4) vs. Concordia (Ore.) (9/8)
Blocks: Hailey Hilvers (5) vs. Simon Fraser (9/9)
 
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
FPU entered the season opener riding a nine-game winning streak that dated back to Saturday, Oct. 24 with a win over Holy Names….the run featured five games that were clean sweeps, as the Sunbirds had only lost five sets during the stretch….the Sunbirds added to the streak with a season-opening victory over Concordia (Ore.) to make it 10 straight before Simon Fraser ended the run the next day….Bissie DenHartog currently ranks ninth all-time in career assists with 2,657 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 all four games this season, with a season-high of 45….Karah Mitchell leads the Sunbirds in kills this year, as the junior has totaled 10 or more in three of four games….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)….FPU holds a 987-257 (.793) all-time program record in 34 seasons.
 
ABOUT THE EAGLES
Concordia enters the PacWest opener at 9-0 on the season. The Eagles are currently receiving votes in the AVCA national poll. CUI is coming off a 4-0 weekend at the West Region Showcase, where the Eagles earned victories over Western Oregon (3-1), Chico State (3-0), Alaska (3-1) and Stanislaus State (3-0). Rachel Flynn leads the offense with 3.25 kills per set, while Ellie Ladensack adds 2.75 K/S. The defense is led by Taylor Dennison's 5.13 digs per set. The Eagles run a two-setter offensive attack, as Morgan Nunley and Erica Anthony average 6.00 and 5.50 assists per set, respectively.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Friday's match will mark the 58th meeting between the two programs. FPU holds a dominant 52-5 advantage in the all-time series. The Sunbirds defeated the Eagles in straight sets last season in Fresno.
 
ABOUT THE LANCERS
California Baptist, the PacWest favorite according to the league's preseason poll, sits at 5-3 overall on the young season. The Lancers, who are also currently receiving votes in the AVCA national poll, started the year with five straight wins, but have dropped their last three matches. Each loss came at the hands of a ranked opponent – then #15 Cal State San Bernardino (3-0), #14 Western Washington (3-2) and Alaska (3-1). Lauren Hackett leads the Lancers on the offensive side with 4.21 kills per set, while Jenna Perry adds 3.86 K/S. Sydney Kraji facilitates the offense and averages 10.62 assists per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for the 80th time, as FPU holds a 59-20 all-time series advantage over CBU. The Lancers swept the Sunbirds last season in Riverside and have won the last three meetings.
  
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, ahead of the 2016-17 season.
 
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