FRESNO, Calif. - Kicking off October with spectacular pink jerseys, the Fresno Pacific volleyball team performed well in the 3-0 sweep over Cal State East Bay. The 'Birds kept their 16-win streak alive with the following set scores: 25-16, 25-19, and 25-19.
The Sunbirds set the tone early in the opening set behind a strong performance from
Rylee Pitney, whose slide kills and aggressive attacks helped FPU build a 15-9 lead. The FloCollege/CCAA Player of the Week duo never let up off the gas.
Mikayla Weiss, Setter of the Week, added setter dumps to keep the defense guessing, while
Madelyn Feramisco, the Offensive Player of the Week, swung through the block to extend the advantage. Fresno Pacific closed out the set 25-16.
Cal State East Bay opened the second set with an early lead thanks to several overpass kills.
Makayla Smith and Pitney helped the 'Birds rally back to even the score at 8-8.
Jocelyn Yang was dynamic behind the serving line and gave the Pioneers a tough time. The Sunbirds regained momentum after a Weiss' ace forced a Pioneer timeout at 11-9, which
Itzel Aguayo and Feramisco followed up with a resounding block on a backrow attack. Cal State East Bay threatened late, but the Sunbirds stayed composed and secured the set 25-19 with a service ace.
FPU carried that momentum into the third set, building an early lead behind a Weiss setter dump and a hustle play from
Rachel Plantinga, where she executed a barrell-roll to save a tip over the block.
Addisen Hamilton made an impact on the right side, while Smith added crafty attacks from the outside to keep the 'Birds ahead. With
Malia Edwardson subbing in to help the backrow, Aguayo delivered a key kill after a challenge review, and Fresno Pacific didn't look back. The No. 4 'Birds completed the sweep with a 25-19 win in the final set.
The Blue and Orange remain undefeated 16-0 overall and 6-0 in CCAA play. The Sunbirds are one of the top ranked teams in the nation and are one of two teams with a perfect start in Division II (Ferris State).
NEXT UP: You can catch the Sunbirds in action on Saturday, October 10th at 2pm! Fresno Pacific faces San Francisco State right here at the Special Events Center for the final home match of the weekend.
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