RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific women's water polo team continued its scorching stretch on Saturday, as the Sunbirds finished the Lancer Invite a perfect 3-0. FPU defeated NCAA Division I Villanova 8-6, Redlands 10-1 and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 11-5 at the Lancer Aquatics Center.
 
The Sunbirds have now won 11 of their last 12 games, including five in a row. FPU now sits at 12-6 overall on the season and needs one more win to match a program record.
 
In the opener against Villanova, FPU used a strong defensive second half to earn the win. The two teams were tied 5-5 at halftime before the Sunbirds held the Wildcats to one goal the final two periods.
 
Amber Penney led FPU with a game-high six goals, while Julia Ponce and Kaitlin Groothuyzen added one goal apiece. Emma McBride dished out three assists. Courtney Hall spearheaded the defensive effort with 13 saves in the cage.
 
The Sunbirds then continued the defensive momentum into the match against Redlands, as FPU held the Bulldogs to one goal the entire game. The Sunbirds led 4-0 at the intermission and put the game away with four goals in the final period.
 
Hannah Holly led FPU with three goals, which included a perfect shooting percentage at 3-for-3. The Sunbirds used a balanced attack as seven other players found the back of the cage once.
 
Kaylin Drum got the start in goal and blocked nine shots. FPU totaled 14 steals as a team.
 
FPU then completed the trifecta in the nightcap behind a hot start against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Sunbirds jumped out to a 5-1 lead at halftime against CMS and held on for the win.
 
Penney found the back of the cage five times for FPU, while Emily Knowles and Savannah Mangrum added two scores apiece. Ponce and Sam Witt finished out the scoring with one apiece. Hall reached double-digits in saves for the second time on the day with 11.

"Playing three games in one day is a tough thing to do. I'm proud of our girls because they accepted the challenge with no questions asked," said head coach Bryan Suhovy. "We knew all of our games would be tough, but we came out ready to play in each one. All the girls stepped up and contributed in every way. Our bench came in clutch playing strong in a modified rotation knowing we needed to keep girls fresh. With conference play beginning next week, we're excited with where we are right now and confident we're going to continue to grow."

The Sunbirds return home after a 13-game road trip on Tuesday, March 14 to host Harvard at 6:30 p.m.