OAKLAND, Calif.-Bookending a gritty third set comeback with a pair of their most dominant sets of the season, the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (7-4 overall, 6-1 PacWest) blocked the Holy Names Hawks (7-9 overall, 2-5 PacWest) in four sets Friday night at Tobin Gymnasium.

Fresno Pacific put together two of their most impressive sets of the season in the first and fourth frames using a dominant block and an explosive offense. But FPU had to bounce back from a momentum draining second set and grinded out four match points to be in a position to close things out in four sets.

"In sets 1 and 4," Fresno Pacific head coach Mike MacNeill said of his team's performance. "I would say the biggest difference was that we scored a higher percentage." We got a little lackluster on our defensive locations in sets two and three. But true to who we are this year, the game was never out of control or out of reach."

The Sunbirds raced out in front with their largest run of the season. Makena Ogas delivered a dominant service run that included a pair of service aces as Fresno Pacific had a commanding 10-0 lead before Holy Names tallied a point.

Fresno Pacific's lead would get cut in half after HNU first tallied score straight points before eventually whittling the difference to 12-7.

Madison Girnius paced the Sunbirds in the first set, racking up 4 kills on five attempts without an error. Three other Sunbirds had multiple kills and FPU tallied 14 as a team, hitting over .310 in the set, while marching to a commanding 25-12 victory in set 1.

Girnius also tallied two blocks as a part of a dominant net presence for FPU. Corinne Acosta earned the credit for three blocks as well.

The hosts responded at the second set, jumping out to a 6-2 lead in the second set. Fresno Pacific struggled to recapture the momentum in the second set, falling behind by 10 points before an FPU timeout at 22-12.

The Sunbirds conceded three more points before finding their strongest run of the set with four straight points before Holy Names got its revenge and evened the set 25-16.

"You have to give credit to Holy Names for fight back in set two," MacNeill said. "They have been playing some good volleyball lately, and it showed tonight."

Holy Names took another early lead in set three before Fresno Pacific made it a back-and-forth set in the middle stanza.

Fresno Pacific fell behind 21-18 before tying the set at 21. After Holy Names inched away again at 23-21, and FPU timeout set the stage for the most dramatic sequence of the match.

Holy Names earned set point at 24-22, but FPU blocked four attempts by the Hawks to close out the set, using the block of Girnius, along with Acosta and Ogas, to flip momentum.

Catie Speas' service helped seal the set, finally, at 29-27 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Fresno Pacific regained the momentum in the fourth set as Girnius and Chloe Melis re-established dominance in the middle.

FPU walled off the Holy Names attack, holding the Hawks to .053 in the frame, as FPU cruised to seal the set and the match at 25-13.

Girnius finished with a career-high 13 kills while Acosta added 11. Melis and Ogas had 8 and 7 kills, respectively.

"Madison has been working hard to be an option every time," MacNeill said of his sophomore middle. "She excelled tonight and kept Holy Names off balance on the block and defense. She has been connecting well with our setters in practice and it translated well tonight."

FPU's 20 block assists, propelled by 5 from both Girnius and Melis, is the 2^nd highest total of the season for the Sunbirds.

Fresno Pacific derailed Holy Names' two-match win streak on their homecoming night while picking up their 7^th win in the last 8 matches.

"I love this team," MacNeill added. "And I believe that we can continue to exceed our own expectations as we continue to work through the process."

The Sunbirds will return immediately to the court against Dominican at 2:00pm in the Conlan Center in San Rafael Saturday.