Sports briefs: Fresno State women’s tennis team pushes aside Dons

Fresno State narrowly missed its first women’s tennis sweep of the season, losing only a tight three-set match at No. 1 singles during a 6-1 triumph over the University of San Francisco on Saturday at Golden Gate Park.

The No. 56 Bulldogs’ lone blemish came when the Dons’ Andrea Ka outlasted Aishwarya Agrawal 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Fresno State (3-2) would get doubles wins from Agrawal/Bianca Modoc, Rana Sherif Ahmed/Melissa McQueen and Olga Kirpicheva/Sophie Watts as well as singles wins from Ahmed, McQueen, Modoc, Watts and Anne Susdorf.

The Bulldogs play at Santa Clara today.

Ex-Buchanan star Barnes scores for U.S. rugby team

Former Buchanan High star Tanner Barnes was a busy man over the past three days at the Las Vegas Invitational rugby tournament, which coincided with the international USA Sevens tourney.

Not only did Barnes earn a spot and play for the U.S. Falcons squad — the national team behind the top-flight U.S. Eagles — he played for his Central Washington squad as well.

In the Elite 7s, Barnes scored one try — the equivalent of a touchdown, but worth five points with a 2-point conversion kick that follows — as the Falcons went 2-1 in Pool B action that began with a 24-19 loss to eventual pool-winner Chile. Wins were 31-14 over Air Force and 46-0 over Iceland.

The Falcons lost 19-14 to Russia in the Cup quarterfinals, but beat Peru 40-5 in the Plate round.

In College 7s, Barnes scored four tries as the Wildcats went 3-0 in pool play, then three in the knockout rounds before his team fell 31-5 in the Cup Final against the University of Victoria.

In the Cup quarterfinals, he scored to put his team up 14-0 and 24-7 in what ended up being a 29-7 victory against Air Force.

In the Cup semifinals against Humber College from Toronto, Barnes scored his team’s second try for a 14-0 lead in the 28-0 win.

Victories in Pool F were 27-17 against Missouri and 27-17 against the University of Denver on Thursday, and 22-12 against Stony Brook on Friday.

USA Sevens action concludes today with broadcasts at 11 a.m. on NBC Sports Network and at 1 p.m. on KSEE Channel 24.1.

Bulldogs’ sprinter 7th at Seattle track and field meet

Breeauna Thompson highlighted Fresno State’s performances at the Husky Classic in Seattle, placing seventh in the 60-meter dash in 7.62 seconds.

The Bulldogs also received a 10th-place finish from Meagan McKee in the shot put (44-11.0).

Former Clovis West High standout Alyssa Monteverde was third in the 60 hurdles (8.51) and 17th in the long jump (16-11.5) for Oregon.

Rams split two in softball

Grace Combs pitched a two-hitter as state 11th-ranked Fresno City College won 8-1 over Ohlone, but fell behind early in a 3-1 loss to host and No. 3 Delta to close out a softball doubleheader.

Kyla Cisneros homered, singled and knocked in three runs to lead four Fresno City players with two hits against No. 9 Ohlone.

Combs went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI against Delta.

Fresno Pacific tennis teams extend perfect tourney starts

Fresno Pacific’s men’s team won its third straight at the Grand Canyon Invitational and fourth overall to start the season, getting 6-0, 6-0 singles wins from Kirill Sinitsyn and Amarit Sanchez in an 8-1 victory over Metro State.

The Sunbirds swept the doubles behind the teams of Sinitsyn/Kyle Rowe, Sanchez/Stefan Loop and Marco Gabriel/John Karlman.

Fresno Pacific closes against host and NCAA Division II No. 14 Grand Canyon at 11 a.m. today.

The Sunbirds’ women are 3-0 at the tournament in Phoenix after shutting out Chaminade 9-0 as No. 12 Marie Boura and Anna Mikhaylova both earned wins in singles and doubles play.

Fresno Pacific (4-1) faces No. 10 Grand Canyon at 11 a.m. today.

Sunbirds lose three in pool

The short-handed Fresno Pacific women’s water polo team, which suited up eight players, lost 9-4 to Whittier, 11-5 to Occidental and 7-6 to host Cal State San Bernardino.

Dani Mortimer and Samantha Clark scored four goals each over the three games to lead the Sunbirds (1-7).

Monsters teams lose

The Fresno Monsters let a two-goal, first-period lead slip away, and Valencia’s Eddie Keshishian scored the go-ahead goal at the 16:23 mark of the third period to send the Flyers to a 3-2 Western States Hockey League win.

Cameron Coburn and Filip Winkler scored for the Monsters.

– Dan Sherer scored Fresno’s lone goal as the North American Hockey League Monsters fell 4-1 against Wenatchee.

Bulldogs men’s volleyball team wins twice at tourney

Taylor Dildine combined for 20 kills as Fresno State’s club men’s volleyball team went 2-1 at the Northern California Collegiate Tournament, beating UC Davis 25-23, 25-22 and Sonoma State 25-22, 25-20 while losing to Sacramento State 22-25, 25-23, 15-13.

The Bulldogs host Cal at noon and Chico State at 3 p.m. today.

PAL boxers score victories

Fresno PAL boxers Jose Salinas and Moises Maciel won their bouts during the Velardes Golden Gloves Tournament in Fresno.

Salinas competed in the 114-pound division. Maciel, fighting in the 141-pound class, advances to today’s semifinals.