FRESNO, Calif.---  Stan State improved to 4-0 with two sweeps of two NCAA Division II West Regional opponents this afternoon in the final day of the Sunbird Classic in Fresno, Calif.  The Warriors started off today with a three-set victory (25-18, 25-18, 25-23) over Academy of Art.  They finished the classic with a three-set sweep (25-13, 25-20, 25-16) over Dominican. The Warriors lost just three sets in the four matches they played over the three-day tournament. 
 
ACADEMY OF ART
SET ONE:  The first set was even until the Warriors took a 13-8 lead on a Mariah Iosua kill.  Academy of Art (0-3) cut the Warrior lead to 14-13, but Stan State came right back and built an 18-14 lead on another Iosua kill.  Stan State increased its lead to 22-17 on a Devyn Nifo ace.  Academy of Art recorded the next points on a kill, but the Warriors finished the set (25-18) off with the final three points with two coming off Ellison Weaver kills.

SECOND SET:  Stan State came out of the intermission scoring eight of the first nine points of the second set.  The Urban Knights' Fina Tuinauvai recorded a kill to cut the Warrior lead to 10-6.  The Warriors increased their lead to 19-9 capped by a combined block by Alex Byrd and Iosua.  Thye took a 23-12 lead on a Makenna Carrillo kill off an assist from Haley Burdo.  Academy of Art cut the Stan State lead to 23-18, but the Warriors finished the set off with the final two points including the final on a Shaelyn Pruiett service ace, 25-18. With the win, Stan State took a 2-0 lead in the match.

THIRD SET:  The third set was back and forth all the way with Stan State taking a 22-21 lead on a Pruiett kill.  A Katharerine Von Kraut kill tied the set at 23-23, but the Warriors finished the set and match out on a kill by Iosua and a service ace by Gabby Rawson.  They won the set 25-23 and the match 3-0.

33:  The Warriors had 33 kills in the three-set match led by Ellison Weaver with nine kills followed by Mariah Iosua with eight, Makenna Carrillo with seven, and Malia Tanksley with six. 

TEN ACES:  Stan State had ten aces in the match led by Devyn Nifo with four service aces.  Haley Burdo and Shaelyn Pruiett each had two.  Ellison Weaver and Gabby Rawson each recorded one service ace.

DOMINICAN
FIRST SET:  A Malia Tanksley kill off a pass from Shaelyn Pruiett gave the Warriors a 7-4 lead in the first set.  They increased their lead to 18-9.  Another Tanksley kill gave Stan State a 22-11 lead.  The Penguins came back with the next two points.  Started by a Tanksley kill, Stan State recorded the set's final three points to take the first set 25-13.

SECOND SET:  Dominican (1-2) took an 8-6 lead on a kill by Ella Heckman.  Stan State scored nine of the next eleven points to take a 15-10 lead.  The Warriors increased their lead to 20-12 on a hitting error by Dominican.  The Penguins didn't go away as they cut the deficit to 21-19 on a Kali Young kill.  Stan State took a 2-0 lead in the match as the Warriors scored four of the set's final five points capped by a Devyn Nifo kill, 25-20. 

THIRD SET:  The Warriors came out after the second set victory to take an 8-1 lead to begin the third set.  A kill by Young cut the Stan State lead to 9-6.  Stan State came right back and took a 20-13 lead late in the set.  The Warriors finished the set off recording five of the match's final eight points including two by Isabella Saucedo's service aces.  Stan State won the set 25-16 and the match 3-0.

TANKSLEY:  Malia Tanksley had 12 kills in the match against the Penguins and hit for a .304 percentage.  She also had three digs in the match.  Alex Byrd added six kills with Makenna Carrillo and Isabella Saucedo each with five. Ellison Weaver and Mariah Iosua had four apiece. 

47 DIGS:  The Warriors recorded 47 digs in the three-set victory.  Gabby Rawson and Haley Burdo each had eight followed by Shaelyn Pruiett and Ellison Weaver each with seven. 

26/34:  Shaelyn Pruiett and Haley Burdo had 26 of the Warriors' 34 assists.  Pruiett had 15 and Burdo had 11. 

UP NEXT:  The Warriors will host the six-team Stan State Volleyball Tournament, Sept. 12-14 at The Fitzpatrick Arena.  The other five teams competing will be Chico State, Dominican, Jessup, Menlo, and UC Merced.  Stan State's first match of the tournament will also be Affairs Night, Thursday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. versus UC Merced.