HONOLULU – Hawai'i Pacific University opened its final five-match homestand  on a sour note on Thursday night, falling to Fresno Pacific 3-0 in PacWest Conference play.
 
The Sharks (4-19, 3-12) lost to the Sunbirds (7-18, 4-11) 25-11, 25-23, 25-12 for their fifth consecutive loss.
 
The Sharks posted a .116 attack percentage with 1.0 team blocks, as FPU hit .330 with 9.0 team blocks in the three-setter.
 
Sophomore Ella Dotson of Tucson, Ariz./Marana led the way for the Sharks with 13 kills, while senior Lauren Christie of Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon posted eight kills with a .200 hitting percentage. Freshman Ali Rumpel of Athens, Ga./Athens Academy the solo block for the Sharks.
 
Fresno Pacific was paced by Corinne Acosta with 17 kills and two blocks, while Lauren Walmsley chalked up 10 kills with a .526 hitting percentage and three blocks. Makena Ogas tallied four blocks to lead the Sunbirds.
 
The Sharks and Sunbirds had only one tie in the first set before FPU went on a 4-0 run and never trailed again. HPU was scratching back before another 5-0 FPU run spelled doom as the Sunbirds won going away 25-11.
 
HPU looked to bounce back in the second set, exchanging the lead before going on a 6-1 run, keyed by an ace and a kill from junior Makenzie Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis of Honolulu/Sacred Hearts to build a 16-11 advantage. The Sharks jousted with the Sunbirds as they took a 20-17 lead, only to have FPU tie the score at 20-all. The Sharks eked out a 23-21 lead but the Sunbirds rallied for four straight points to steal the set 25-23 on a Wamsley kill.
 
The second set loss took the wind out of the HPU sails. After HPU scored the opening point of the third set on a hitting error by FPU, the Sunbirds followed with a 9-1 run and never looked back on the way to a 25-12 set win for the match.
 
The Sharks are back in action on Sunday night at 7 p.m. in The Shark Tank when they host Academy of Art. Fully vaccinated and masked fans are encouraged to attend.