FRESNO, Calif.- A five set battle ended in heartbreak for the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds as they fell to the Wesmonth Warriors Saturday evening 3-2 in the Special Events Center. 

The Sunbirds opened the match strong, with balanced attacks and solid defense.

Early kills by Makayla Smith and Madison Girnius gave Fresno Pacific the edge, but Westmont kept pace, keeping the score close.

The set was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging leads, but clutch kills by Geneva Elliott and a service ace from Amanda Lauer gave the Sunbirds the upper hand.

The 'Birds edged out the Warriors in extra points, winning the first set 27-25 to take a 1-0 lead?. 

Set two was even more intense, with both teams fighting for control.

Westmont jumped out to a 4-1 lead before the Sunbirds clawed back to tie the score at 7-7 behind the stellar play of Smith and Gilcrest.

The two sides continued to trade points throughout the set, with neither able to pull away.

A key ace from Lauer gave the 'Birds  a 27-26 lead, but Westmont capitalized on errors and finished the set 31-29, leveling the match at 1-1?. 

Westmont carried their momentum into the third set, quickly building a 5-0 lead before Fresno Pacific could respond.

The Sunbirds struggled early against Westmont's aggressive blocking and serving, but slowly began to claw back into the set with kills from Elliott and Girnius.

Despite their best efforts, the Sunbirds were unable to overcome the early deficit, and the Warriros held on to win the set 25-21, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

With their backs against the wall, the Sunbirds stormed back in the fourth set.

Smith led the attack, while Gilcrest added key kills to keep the 'Birds ahead.

The Sunbirds' defense, anchored by Devyn Castaneda, was stellar, shutting down Westmont's attempts to mount a comeback.

An ace by Smith extended Fresno's lead to 9-5, and they never looked back, closing out the set 25-18 to force a deciding fifth set. 

The final set ended in heartbreak for the 'Birds. 

Westmont jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, but the Sunbirds fought back with kills from Waites and Elliott to narrow the gap.

Fresno Pacific rallied to tie the set at 12-12, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, Westmont stayed composed in the final moments, scoring the last few crucial points to win the set 15-13 and clinch the match 3-2?. 

Up next, the Sunbirds will head to San Francisco for a matchup with the Academy of Art Tuesday at 6pm. 
 

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