FRESNO, Calif.- A late rally by the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds fell short Saturday afternoon as they lost 3-1 to the Jessup Warriors. 

Jessup came out strong, quickly building an 11-0 lead as Fresno Pacific struggled to establish their offense.

Despite a mid-set kill from Makayla Smith and defensive efforts by Devyn Castaneda, the Sunbirds couldn't overcome Jessup's early advantage. 

Mia Gilcrest and Madison Girnius each contributed with kills, but the Sunbirds finished with only eight kills and a .219 hitting percentage, falling 25-13 to the Warriors. 

The Sunbirds offense continued to face challenges in the second set, with eight attack errors and a negative hitting percentage of -.065. 

Cambria Waites worked to set up plays for Smith and Gilcrest, but Jessup maintained control, countering with a steady offensive rhythm.

Defensive digs from Claire Corippo and Castaneda provided brief momentum shifts, but Jessup ultimately took the set 25-16.

In the third set, the Sunbirds found their footing, led by Smith and Gilcrest, who combined for 13 kills and improved the 'Birds hitting percentage to .222.

The set saw ten ties as Waites and Corippo anchored the defense, while Smith provided consistent kills.

A critical block from Girnius in the final points helped the Sunbirds edge out a 26-24 win, extending the match.

The fourth set was a close battle, with Smith and Gilcrest once again leading the offense, contributing 12 kills. 

Castaneda and Waites provided key digs, helping keep the score close through seven ties and four lead changes.

Despite Waites' assists and defensive plays, the Warrior's consistent offense prevailed, as they took the set 25-22 and secured the 3-1 match win.

The Sunbirds will head to Santa Cruz for a non-conference matchup with the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs before heading to the islands for PacWest play against Chaminade, Hawaii Pacific and Hawaii-Hilo. 
 

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