Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Sunbirds sweep Hope International

Box score (30-21, 30-17, 30-16)

Fresno - If the story line sounds familiar, well it is.

The Sunbirds needed just over an hour- 63 minutes to be exact- to sweep their 21st opponent in 23 contests. Tonight it was the Hope International University Royals on the short end of a 30-21, 30-17, 30-16 Golden State Athletic Conference sweep.

Sophomore middle blocker Marin Shilling, named the GSAC player of the week for her role in FPU's three sweeps last week, lead the way again with 12 kills and only 1 error on 16 swings for a .688 attack efficiency.

There was help from Brittany Pierce (11 kills, 0 errors, 26 swings .423) and Lorena Zuleta  (10-1-13 .692, 3 blocks). Deanna Richards and Lira Xavier also got into the act with eight kills each.

Samantha Weatherly lead all back row players with 15 digs.

"I am real pleased," said FPU head coach Dennis Janzen. "We stayed focused all the way to the end and didn't give up any easy points."

Ashley Ogle, Alyson Lumley and Rayda Jaber each had seven kills to lead the Royals who are still looking for their first win of the season.

The top-ranked Sunbirds, who have won all 23 of the matches (and dropped only two games in the process) completed a four-match home stand with the win tonight.

The Sunbirds will be on the road for their next two contests. Saturday they will be in Irvine to face 10th-ranked Concordia (19-4, 9-4). Next Tuesday FPU will be in Azusa to take on 15th-ranked Azusa Pacific.

Updated Records
Hope International: 0-14, 0-14 GSAC
Fresno Pacific: 23-0, 13-0 GSAC

Updated Series Record
FPU leads the all-time series 22-0.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Shilling, Liu earn GSAC honors

Marin Shilling and Shu Liu were named the Golden State Athletic Conference player and setter of the week, respectively, for their roles in the Sunbirds' three wins last week.

Shilling, a sophomore middle blocker from Clovis, contributed 4.4 kills per game with a .500 attack efficiency.

Liu, a freshman from Shen Yang, China, directed FPU's offense with 15.7 assists per game. No one to leave the hitting responsibilities to her teammates, Liu also hammered 11 kills with no errors and a .688 attack efficiency.

Liu was named setter of the week earlier this season (September 26). It is the first award for Shilling.

The Sunbirds, ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, put their 22-0 record on the line tonight when they host Hope International University tonight.

Fresno Pacific University offers undergraduate and graduate programs that stress solid academic preparation and a strong ethical foundation. Each year more than 2,000 traditional and adult students attend classes on the 42-acre main campus in southeast Fresno or centers in Visalia and Bakersfield. The university also reaches 12,000 students across the nation and around the world through professional development studies programs. The only four-year Christian university in the Central Valley, FPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and ranked in the top quarter among Western universities master's category by U.S. News & World Report.