HILO, Hawai'i – Fresno Pacific volleyball clinched a victory in a non-conference matchup with PacWest rival Hawaii Hilo, boosting their season-opening win streak to 7-0 overall. The Sunbirds left the big island triumphant in the four-set match with scores of 30-28, 20-25, 25-22, 25-19. Graduate setter Mikayla Weiss hit her 1000th career assist against the Vulcans and was points away from getting a triple double.
 
"What a way to kick off the start of the trip," said head coach Kelsee Montagna. "On the road against a great team with a tough environment to play in. I'm proud of how we responded in moments where it wasn't going our way. We stuck to the game plan, we stayed gritty, and we didn't allow the crowd to overwhelm us. We still have things we need to work on and we're just happy for every opportunity we get on the court together."

The Sunbirds began the first set by overcoming an early 4-2 deficit with a strong sequence, highlighted by a 5-0 run thanks to key blocks from Cambria Waites and Addison McKarcher to take a 7-4 lead. The Vulcans took advantage of a few service errors from the Blue and Orange to climb their way back to 19-19. From that point forward, the Sunbirds and the Vulcans continued point for point, neither one conceding the lead. After a long rally, Weiss set it to Sydney Hancock who tipped it right over the block to tie it 24-24. Hancock went back to serve for the Sunbirds, only to immediately celebrate as the Vulcans failed to return the ball. At 25-25, Weiss took a perfect pass from libero Devyn Castaneda and quickly dumped it into the center of the court to claim the point. Soon after, a Sunbird triple block from Weiss, Madelyn Feramisco, and Geneva Elliott brought it to 27-27. To end it all, Hancock and Elliott blocked the right-side to clinch the first set at 30-28.

The Vulcans claimed the second set with a final score of 25-20. Although the Vulcans held the lead throughout the set, Weiss and Feramisco came through with consistent attacks to tip the scales. Weiss was merciless on the front line, either setting a perfect ball, attacking it, or dumping it past the awaiting defenders. Feramisco had a key cross-court shot on the right-side to bring the Sunbirds back 16-19. However, strong serves from Hawaii Hilo made it tough for Fresno Pacific to respond. The Vulcans extended their lead with multiple blocks and service aces until the set ended in their favor.

The Sunbirds opened the third set strong, capitalizing on an early attack error by Hawaii Hilo to secure the first point and set the tone for a competitive set. Weiss showcased her versatility, contributing with key blocks and assists, including a critical kill at 22-21 that helped Fresno Pacific maintain their lead. Makayla Smith aced the Vulcans for the 24^th point of the third set and a final kill by Feramisco captured the set point, 25-22.

In the fourth set, Fresno Pacific brought the energy and the power to secure their seventh straight-win of the season. Smith swung hard down the line to give the Sunbirds the lead, bumping the score to 7-4. Despite a few missed serves from the 'Birds, the Vulcans' momentum was stopped by Feramisco and Weiss' dynamic connection time and time again. With Waites attacking on the right side, Elliott holding down the middle and Castaneda protecting the back court, the Sunbirds pushed ahead to a 13-9 lead.

The last five points of the match for FPU were unforgettable.Weiss jumped on top of a tight pass and smashed it down the line to make it 20-17, then went on to serve and set freshman outside Feramisco for the deep corner kill. A tip save by Waites followed by a clever ten-foot kill by Elliott brought the Sunbirds to 23 points. The Vulcans may have blocked a ball straight down, but Feramisco and Elliott brought it home for the Sunbirds with back-to-back kills.

Weiss recorded 9 kills, 39 assists, and 23 digs, contributing significantly in both setting and defense. The graduate setter hit her 1000th career assist, tallying 780 assists at Fresno State and 220 as a Sunbird. Middle blockers Elliott and McKarcher added to the defensive effort with seven total blocks each. Waites also made an impact at the net with 10 kills and six block assists while contributing 12 digs. Feramisco led the team in scoring with 16 kills, finishing with 17 total points.

NEXT UP: The 'Birds continue their Hawaii trip with a non-conference clash with Hawaii Pacific on Saturday at 6 pm HT (9 pm PT). The match will be streaming live on the PacWest Network.  

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