SURPRISE, Ariz. - The nationally ranked Fresno Pacific women's tennis team met resistance on the final day of the PacWest Championships, ultimately falling to No. 28 Hawaii Pacific 2-4 in the battle for third-place.

Kicking off the afternoon finale, Fresno Pacific swept up the doubles point thanks to Yume Ueoku and Fabiana Gonzalez on court one (6-0) and Malia Mitchell and Margarita Munoz on court three (6-4). Taking the initial 1-0 lead, the 'Birds headed into singles hoping to continue the momentum. However, the Sharks rallied with three intense wins on courts five, four, two and one. FPU's Halle Faherty fought tooth and nail in her singles match, defeating HPU's Castillo (7-5, 6-4) for the 'Birds sole point. Mitchell was also a bright point for the team, nearly defeating the Sharks' Dymkowski with a 1-6, 5-7, 5-5 result before they were stopped.

In the end, the Sunbirds fell to Hawaii Pacific 2-4, landing fourth overall at the PacWest Championships.

"We fought hard and represented FPU very well today in my opinion," said head coach Sam Gaeddert. "Playing against fellow nationally-ranked opponents like HPU is always difficult, and the Sharks came out on top today. Congratulations to them and their players."

The No. 29 Lady 'Birds are 12-7 overall. The team had four players who earned All-PacWest honors, including two who were named the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Together, the women's team boasted a seven-win streak this season, defeating multiple nationally-ranked teams and challenging Division I opponents.

"Our women have set themselves apart and are excited to see next week's rankings and the potential to earn a bid into the West Regional finals. We want the opportunity to compete again and earn a spot at the National tournament!"
 

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