SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Pacific is taking part in the fourth iteration of the Central California Challenge from September 18-20 on the campus of Sacramento State, marking the last three games of the Tigers' schedule before embarking on West Coast Conference play.

Game one of the challenge pits Pacific (4-4) against Fresno State (3-5) on Thursday, which have been the two most successful schools in the Central California Challenge to date. The Tigers have so far compiled a 9-0 record while the Bulldogs are in second at 5-4. Last season's match with Fresno State was a microcosm of the series, in which Pacific surrendered only one set. In the past 15 matchups, Pacific has outscored the Bulldogs 42-9 and holds a 35-3 all-time record.

Graduate Olivia Keller rolls into the weekend having put up an efficient .307 hitting percentage in Reno and her first collegiate 20+ kill match (21 vs. Eastern Washington). The match is also a meeting with her former school as Keller spent the past three seasons playing for Fresno State. Since donning the Orange and Black, she is already just 23 kills away from setting a new season-high (currently 135 during the 2022 season).  

Friday puts the Tigers on the court with host Sacramento State (4-5), another series historically dominated by Pacific. Making their first trip to The Nest since 2021, the team is 13-6 all-time playing at Sacramento State. Within the Central California Challenge, sets have been competitive as the average set between the two schools favors the Tigers 25-20.

In Reno last weekend, sophomore Alyson Cox returned to form and posted a strong 16 kills out of the middle with 38 assists, five service aces, and 15 digs. In the match against Nevada, she reached 100 career assists and after serving up three aces against Eastern Washington is on pace for 48 at the end of the season – which would be a team high since Darina Kumanova's 56 in 2022.

The final match of the weekend has Pacific facing CSU Bakersfield (1-6) on Saturday. On neutral courts, the Tigers are a perfect 3-0 and in those three matchups, Pacific swept the Roadrunners 9-0. Freshman Julia Porath will look to build on her previous appearances, garnering seven kills, four digs and two block assists in a career-high four sets played against Eastern Washington. Fellow freshman Chloe Grever also capitalized on a full workload against EWU, hitting for a career-high five kills.

The action kicks off for the Tigers at 4 p.m. on Thursday against Fresno State followed by a 7 p.m. tilt Friday with Sacramento State and then 11 a.m. with CSU Bakersfield Saturday. Only the match with Sacramento State will be broadcast and can be seen on ESPN+.

Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474.  Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
 
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