REDLANDS, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific Sunbirds wrapped up the Och Tamale Invite with a split against nationally-ranked Division III opponents La Verne and Cal State Fullerton.

"I thought we had a great weekend," said head coach Bryan Suhovy. "We finished 3-1 with those wins being solid wins. We played hard against Fullerton and we were running on fumes in that final fourth game of the weekend, but the girls left everything in the water, they never backed down. I was really proud of them and how we played overall. They continue to show growth as each day passes. "

GAME 1 | FPU 22, ULV 4

Fresno Pacific opened the match with a strong start, as Dakota Lambert scored twice within the first quarter, establishing an early lead. La Verne responded with a goal to narrow the gap to 2-1. However, the Sunbirds extended their lead when Emma Cook scored twice, ending the first quarter with a 4-1 advantage. The second quarter saw the Sunbirds maintain control, with Lambert completing a hat trick, making it 5-1. La Verne may have found the back of the net, but the Sunbirds continued to dominate, leading 6-2 by halftime. In the third and fourth quarters, the Sunbirds widened the margin significantly, with Lambert and Regan Azevedo adding to the tally, culminating in a dominant 22-4 victory. Fresno Pacific outshot the Leopards 37-14, with Lambert contributing six goals to the total. It was a career-high for the sophomore from Clovis.
 
GAME 2 | FPU 8, FULLERTON 20

Cal State Fullerton began the game with a strong offensive display, establishing a 2-0 lead. Fresno Pacific's E. Cook responded with an assist from Lambert, FPU's lead scorer of the day, but Fullerton extended their lead with consecutive goals, culminating a 7-1 advantage by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Cook's efforts helped the Sunbirds narrow the gap to 5-3 with two goals, but Fullerton maintained control, finishing the quarter with a 9-4 lead. The third quarter saw Fullerton extend their dominance, scoring seven times to bring the score to 16-5. Despite a late surge by the Sunbirds in the fourth quarter, Cal State Fullerton ultimately outshot the 'Birds, ending the game 20-8.

Fresno Pacific women's water polo is 3-6 overall, gaining all three of their season wins at the Och Tamale Invite.

"A big highlight for us was Emma and Dakota stepping up, the two of them combined scored 30 goals this weekend: Emma 15 goals, and Dakota 15 goals. I was also proud of our defense through the first three games. It was a good weekend for the Sunbirds."

NEXT UP: Fresno Pacific hosts several teams at the Sunbird Invite from February 13-14. The game times and pool location will be determined later this week.

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