Saturday, September 24, 2005 - GSAC Match #5
#1 Sunbirds sweep #3 California Baptist

Box score

Riverside - The 2003 NAIA champion got the better of the 2004 NAIA Champion today in Riverside.

The Sunbirds, powered by freshmen Thais Julio (20 kills) and Brittany Pierce (13 kills), swept the defending NAIA National Champion California Baptist Lancers 30-25, 30-26, 30-25 on their home court in Riverside this afternoon.

"We've been practicing hard for this match for the past two weeks," said Pierce, who also contributed 10 digs. "We came in confident and just tried to ignore the crowd and focus on the stuff on our side of the net."

"I was real pleased with our consistency," said FPU head coach Dennis Janzen. "We strung points together when we needed them. I was also pleased with the way we handled their crowd- they have an outstanding crowd. Thais and Brittany did a great job today. They certainly did not play like freshmen."

The Sunbirds, ranked No.1 in the NAIA, improved to 13-0 overall and 5-0 in Golden State Athletic Conference play, with the win. The No. 3 Lancers dip to 13-2 and 5-1.

The Sunbirds take a break from GSAC play next Tuesday when they host Valley rival Cal State Bakersfield. The first ball will be served at 7:00 p.m.

Livestats from Riverside

Live Audio webcast from Riverside

Radio
This match will be broadcast by KXEX Sporting News Radio AM 1550. Robert Langpaap calls the action, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Updated Records (NAIA Rank)
California Baptist (#3): 13-2, 5-1 GSAC
Fresno Pacific (#1): 13-0, 5-0 GSAC

Updated Series Record
Overall - FPU leads 44-13
GSAC - FPU leads 27-10
Streak - FPU's has won 13 of the last 14 contests... the Lancers most recent victory occurred November 13, 2004, in Riverside, the final GSAC contest of the 2004 season. One week later FPU avenged the 2-3 loss with a 3-0 sweep in the Region 2 Championship.

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.