FRESNO, Calif.  – The Fresno Pacific volleyball team fell in straight sets on Saturday afternoon, suffering its first PacWest Conference loss of the season at the hands of Azusa Pacific. Set scores were 25-14, 25-7 and 25-17 in favor of the Cougars, who have now swept their last four opponents. 
                
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Azusa Pacific 3, Fresno Pacific 0
Records: FPU (2-8, 1-1 PacWest), APU (9-1, 2-0 PacWest)
Location: Fresno, Calif. | Special Events Center
Series: FPU leads 64-15
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HOW IT HAPPENED: 
• The two teams went back-and-forth in the early going before the Cougars claimed the first set by finishing with a 16-6 run.
• APU came out strong in the middle set, jumping out to a 14-2 lead, taking advantage of seven atatck errors by the Sunbirds.
• Fresno Pacific's strongest stretch of the match came in the form of a 7-2 run in the final set, but the Cougars were able to hang on to win 25-17.

STATS OF THE GAME:
• Malerie Crenshaw led the Sunbirds with six kills on the afternoon, while Madison Pierce followed with five of her own.
• Christina Tran's 10 digs were good enough for a team-high, and she teamed up with Greta Dobenecker to give the Sunbirds 22 assists.
• APU's Kaylen Higa countered with 17 assists, paving the way for Julianne Miller to record a game-best 12 kills.
• Bailey Henington was active on the defensive side of the ball for the Cougars, racking up 14 digs in the win. 
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• Henington has recorded at least ten digs on seven different occasions this fall. The Cougars are 6-1 in those contests.
• Seven of APU's nine wins have come in straight sets.
• The Cougars are currently recieving 30 votes in the national poll and are just outside the top-25.
 
UP NEXT:
• FPU will play their next four games on the road, with the first coming on the front end of a two-day swing in Hawaii. Friday's match against Chaminade is set to begin in Honolulu at 10:00 p.m. PST.