THE SCHEDULE
West Region Showcase
The Swamp • San Francisco
Live Stats and Video
 
Game #1
vs. Concordia (Ore.)
Thursday, Sept. 8 • 3 p.m.
 
Game #2
vs. Simon Fraser
Friday, Sept. 9 • 3 p.m.

Game #3
at San Francisco State
Friday, Sept. 9 • 8 p.m.

Game #4
vs. Cal State L.A.
Saturday, Sept. 10 • 1 p.m.
 
GRAND CENTRAL
Stay up-to-date with the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase being played in San Francisco by visiting the tournament central page. You'll find links to all six teams competing and a schedule of the weekend, as well as live stats and video links.
 
SEASON OPENERS
Since 2012 (Division II era), the Sunbirds are 3-1 in season openers. FPU fell to San Francisco State last season and had previously beaten Cal State Monterey Bay, Colorado Christian and Montana State-Billings.
 
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 enters the season opener riding a nine-game winning streak that dates back to Saturday, Oct. 24 with a win over Holy Names….the run features five games that were clean sweeps, as the Sunbirds have only lost five sets during the streak….Bissie DenHartog currently ranks 10th all-time in career assists with 2,507 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….the Sunbirds welcomed back three former players on the coaching staff this season: head coach Tracy Ainger-Schulte, Brittany Henderson (Pierce) and Michelle Gibson (Johnson)….FPU holds a 985-255 (.794) all-time program record in 34 seasons.
 
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS
Concordia (Ore.) enters Thursday's match at 2-2 on the young season. The Cavaliers earned wins over Embry-Riddle (3-1) and Missouri S&T (3-0) and fell to Metro State (3-1) and Florida Southern (3-0) at the Concordia-Portland Labor Day Tournament. Concordia was picked to finish sixth in the GNAC standings prior to the season. Brenna Huwe is the team's early leader offensively, as she averages 3.86 kills per set, while teammates Lindsey Dorsey and Tori Johnson add 3.30 K/S and 2.83 K/S, respectively.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Thursday's match will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two schools. FPU holds a perfect 4-0 mark against the Cavs.
 
ABOUT THE CLAN
Simon Fraser currently sits at 3-1 on the season after competing at the Concordia Labor Day Tournament. The Clan defeated UC San Diego (3-2), Colorado Christian (3-0) and Azusa Pacific (3-0) in Irvine. The lone loss came against Concordia (3-0). Devon May and Emma Jennings lead the way for the Clan offensively, as both average 3.38 kills per set. Libero Alison McKay heads the defense and averages 6.14 dogs per set.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The two teams will be meeting for only the second time in history. The Sunbirds won the first match to hold a perfect 1-0 mark over SFU.
 
ABOUT THE GATORS
San Francisco State enters the showcase at 1-3 overall after competing in the Hawaii Invitational. The Gators lost to Hawaii Pacific (3-0), BYU-Hawaii (3-0) and Chaminade (3-1) to start the year before grabbing a win against Montana State Billings (3-2). Christine Johnson is the team leader in kills per set at 2.60, while Emily Johns leads the defense with 3.33 digs per set.

SERIES HISTORY
Friday's match will be the fourth meeting between the two schools. The Sunbirds won the first two meetings before SFSU won last season's match.
 
ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Cal State LA also enters the weekend at 1-3 overall after competing at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic in Colorado. The Golden Eagles opened the season with a victory over Indianapolis (3-1), but then dropped three straight to Western State Colorado (3-0), Nebraska Kearney (3-0) and Colorado School of Mines (3-2). Taylor Kusher (2.57 K/S) and Lauren Gomez (2.47 K/S) are the team leaders offensively, while Cynthia Giron (3.93 D/S) leads the defense.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's match marks the seventh all-time meeting between FPU and CSULA. The Golden Eagles hold a 5-1 all-time record against the Sunbirds.
 
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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