FRESNO, Calif. — No. 9 Fresno Pacific volleyball opened tournament play with a statement, battling through five sets to defeat Minnesota State, Mankato in a thrilling back-and-forth matchup. The Sunbirds finished with 73 kills, a .357 hitting percentage and two double-doubles in the 3-2 victory (25-23, 29-31, 25-10, 23-25, 15-10) on Thursday evening.
"We knew coming to this tournament that we would be tested every single match," said FPU Head Coach
Kelsee Montagna. "We are seeing different teams and systems which will be good for us in the long run."
The 'Birds set the tone early, edging the Mavericks 25-23 in a first set that featured several momentum swings. Fresno Pacific built an early 5-3 advantage behind a serving run from
Mikayla Weiss, and the two teams continued trading points throughout the frame. Minnesota State pulled even at 21-21 late, but a service error gave the ball back to Fresno Pacific. With
Rachel Plantinga serving, the 'Birds won an extended rally before
Rylee Pitney finished it with an overpass kill into the left corner, giving FPU the opening-set victory, 25-23.
The second set turned into a marathon! Fresno Pacific erased an early 4-1 deficit, using kills from Aguayo and Weiss along with a service ace from
Devyn Castaneda to tie the set at 4-4. After MSU regained the lead, the Sunbirds answered again, eventually building an 18-15 advantage. A
Morgan Castaneda ace and a dual block from Pitney and Weiss pushed Fresno Pacific ahead 22-16, and a
Madelyn Feramisco kill from Weiss brought the 'Birds to set point at 24-21. Minnesota State had other plans. The Mavericks scored three straight to tie the set before the teams traded points deep into extra time. Fresno Pacific took brief leads at 27-26 and 28-27, with kills from Lauer, Castaneda and Weiss helping the 'Birds stay within reach. Another Sunbird ace brought it to a 27-26 advantage, but Minnesota State eventually scored the final two points to take the set 31-29 and even the match.
Fresno Pacific responded with its most dominant stretch of the night. Holding a 16-8 lead in the third, the 'Birds won seven of the next eight rallies to blow the set open. Feramisco delivered multiple kills during the run, while aces from
Julia Nicolet and Weiss kept the momentum firmly on Fresno Pacific's side. Lauer capped the set with a kill as the 'Birds rolled to a 25-10 victory. MSU answered in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth, setting up a winner-take-all finish.
"We are learning how to adapt and change mid-set if need be. I thought everyone came ready to play. One thing about this team is if we need something different, someone can bring it."
In the fifth set, the Blue and Orange once again came out strong when it mattered most and raced to 10 points. An
Addisen Hamilton kill down the line and a pair of attacks from Castaneda over the block fueled the fire. Minnesota State used its second and final timeout with the 'Birds holding a 12-9 advantage and managed to cut the deficit to 12-10. Fresno Pacific remained composed down the stretch. A wide Mavericks attack and a missed attack attempt provided the final points the Sunbirds needed to close out the deciding set and secure the five-set victory, 10-15.
Feramisco led the Sunbirds with 17 kills and added 15 digs, claiming her second of the season. Weiss, the FloCollege/CCAA Player of the Week, finished with a season-best 51 assists, 13 kills on a .571 hitting percentage and eight digs. Libero Castaneda collected 20 digs, served four aces and added eight assists. Outside hitter Castaneda recorded 12 kills without an attack error, hitting .571 on 21 attempts.
NEXT UP: Fresno Pacific faces Tiffin University on Friday, August 4 at 1:30 pm PT (12:30 pm AKST).
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