FRESNO, Calif. — No. 4 Fresno Pacific volleyball continued its dominant start to the season Saturday afternoon, sweeping Cal State San Marcos 3-0 at the Special Events Center to extend its winning streak to 11 straight matches.
"Really proud of how we handled the quick turnaround today," mentioned
Kelsee Montagna. "We changed some things up, had different people step into different roles, and we didn't miss a beat."
The Cougars kept the opening set competitive, taking an 18-15 lead before the 'Birds mounted a decisive comeback.
Makayla Smith sparked the rally with a kill, followed by two kills from
Morgan Castaneda, a Smith service ace and an
Itzel Aguayo kill, to surge ahead 20-19. After Cal State San Marcos evened the score at 20-20, the Sunbirds took over.
Addisen Hamilton delivered a kill before consecutive aces from
Rachel Plantinga put FPU in front. Castaneda then closed the set with back-to-back kills off assists from
Mikayla Weiss, giving the 'Birds a 25-20 victory.
Fresno Pacific carried that momentum into the second set, turning a 10-6 advantage into a commanding 16-6 lead with a 6-0 run. Castaneda served the final five points of the stretch as the 'Birds created separation early. The Sunbirds continued to pull away, winning seven of the final eight rallies after leading 18-9. Smith,
Amanda Lauer and
Rylee Pitney each delivered late kills before
Devyn Castaneda closed the set with a service ace, completing a 25-10 win.
Cal State San Marcos opened the third set with three straight points, but the 'Birds quickly answered. Weiss, Castaneda and Lauer each recorded kills as Fresno Pacific fought back to tie the set at 5-5. The teams remained even through 8-8 before the Cougars moved ahead 9-8 on a service ace. The 'Birds responded by taking five of the next six points. Castaneda and Pitney provided kills, while
Lola Highstreet and Weiss teamed up for a block as Fresno Pacific moved ahead 13-10. With the set sitting at 17-15, the Sunbirds slammed the door with eight consecutive points to finish the match. Castaneda served the final seven points of the set, including two aces, while Lauer delivered the final blow with a kill from Weiss to seal the 25-15 victory and complete the sweep.
"Their adaptability speaks to the depth of this team and how prepared everyone is to contribute when their number is called."
Castaneda led the Sunbirds with nine kills and 11 points, adding two aces and eight digs. Weiss finished with 26 assists, five kills on .500 hitting, seven digs and two block assists.
Devyn Castaneda anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs and added two service aces, while Lauer contributed eight kills while hitting .462.
The victory moves Fresno Pacific to 11-0 overall and 3-0 in CCAA play, keeping the No. 4 Sunbirds perfect through the opening stretch of the season.
UP NEXT: The Blue and Orange will head down to SoCal for a rematch against Cal State San Marcos on Friday, September 25 at 5pm.
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