FRESNO, Calif. - Closing out the weekend, Fresno Pacific volleyball defeated San Francisco State 3-0 on Saturday afternoon. The Gators had late surges in the first two sets, but the 'Birds took care of business to secure their eleventh sweep.
Head Coach Kelsee Montagna mentioned, "San Francisco State is a really good serving team, and I thought they did a great job of putting pressure on our passers and making it difficult for us to establish our offensive rhythm. They challenged us in a lot of ways, especially in the first two sets, but I was proud of how we responded."
In the first set, the Sunbirds gained an early edge as
Rylee Pitney juked the block with a slide attack to score FPU's fifth point. San Francisco State responded with a tip over the block and an attack from its setter to even the score at 8-8.
Addisen Hamilton and Pitney teamed up for a block on the outside to give the 'Birds a 13-10 lead, and a Gator service error followed by a Pitney kill in the middle pushed FPU to 15. The Gators continued to fight, but
Makayla Smith used the block to her advantage, swinging off the hands for back-to-back points. FPU's momentum forced an SFSU timeout with the Sunbirds leading 18-13.
Madelyn Feramisco added a crafty tip over the block to bring FPU to 20, while
Mikayla Weiss shut down an overpass with a powerful block kill to make it 21-14.
Itzel Aguayo followed with a perfectly placed tip to the right side, extending the lead to 22-14. The Gators mounted a late rally, but the 'Birds held on to take the set 25-21.
San Francisco State opened the second set with a block in the middle, but the Sunbirds quickly answered. Smith found a way through the block to make it 4-3, and Feramisco followed by hammering an overpass for the next point. The Gators built leads of 8-6 and 12-7, but Fresno Pacific regrouped after a timeout and capitalized on SFSU errors to tie the set at 12. The 'Birds took control from there, building a 19-16 advantage before
Jocelyn Yang delivered a service ace to bring FPU to 20. Fresno Pacific maintained its momentum down the stretch, closing out another 25-21 set to move within one of the sweep.
"We made adjustments, stayed aggressive, and found ways to regain control of the match. I really liked how we came out in the third set with a sense of urgency and established ourselves early."
Feramisco sparked the third set from the service line, helping FPU score four straight points before the Gators got on the board.
Rachel Plantinga added a service ace to extend the lead to 7-2, while Smith powered through the block on consecutive attacks to make it 8-3. The Sunbirds continued to build their advantage, moving ahead 14-7. After several intense rallies, the Gators cut into the lead, prompting an FPU timeout with the score at 20-16. Yang answered with another service ace to bring the Sunbirds to 23, and Feramisco delivered a powerful kill for match point. An SFSU attack error sealed the set 25-19 and completed the Sunbirds' straight-set victory.
"One thing we continue to emphasize with this group is that it's not just about finding ways to win, it's about the level of volleyball we're playing," said Montagna. "We have to be able to handle pressure, stay disciplined, and execute regardless of what the other side is throwing at us. We're continuing to challenge ourselves to be consistently good from the first point to the last. I think this weekend we did just that from start to finish."
Fresno Pacific advances to 17-0 overall and 7-0 in CCAA play. The 'Birds are nationally ranked fourth in the nation and have received five CCAA Weekly honors this season, including Weiss' three for setter,
Devyn Castaneda's defensive honor, and Feramisco's offensive honor.Â
UP NEXT: The Blue and Orange are on the road next week. FPU will take on CCAA opponent Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday, Oct 15 at 5pm. Then, the 'Birds will head to Arcata, Calif. for the conference matchup against Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday.
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