A week filled with Golden State Athletic Conference matches finishes with two wins and a loss for Biola’s volleyball team. The Eagles swept the Menlo College Oaks and the William Jessup University Warriors, but fell in an intense five-set match to The Master’s University Mustangs.
Belief in eachother’s abilities
“I think that when we have confidence in each other and our abilities and stuff, we are really good,” said junior middle Ally Forsberg. “I think when we start doubting the little things or get all nervous and tense or whatever, that’s when we have issues.”
The week’s play started on Sept. 16 when the Eagles faced off against Menlo, who Biola had a 5-0 record against going back three seasons. This match ended up in a three sets to none victory for Biola 26-24, 25-20 and 25-21, but they had to work for it the whole way.
The Eagles’ 21 attacking errors more than doubled the 10 Menlo had. On the flip side, Biola dominated the Oaks in terms of total kills, earning 54 compared to Menlo’s 34. Five Eagles attackers finished the match with 10 or more kills, including sophomore opposite Karly Dantuma and Forsberg, who led the team with 11 each.
A full day after the Menlo match, Biola stepped on the court to face William Jessup. The match featured an up and down performance for the Eagles, but they still came away with the 3-0 win. Games one and three mirrored each other in the score, as both finished 25-13 in Biola’s favor. The second game proved much more difficult for the Eagles, as Jessup led much of the way, and Biola did not win until late in the set, eventually grabbing the 25-21 victory.
Barely edged out
Sophomore outside Hannah van Warmerdam and sophomore opposite Stephanie Jewett led Biola’s offense with nine kills apiece. Freshman defensive specialist Kaitlin O’Brien also contributed to the team effort with four aces.
The final game of the week ended in heartbreaking fashion, as Master’s barely edged out Biola in five sets. Biola lost the first 25-20, took the second 25-19 and third 25-23, then lost the fourth 25-18 to go to the fifth set. Biola had the first chance at match point when they led 14-13. The Mustangs rattled off three consecutive points and won 16-14.
Biola moves to 13-6 on the season and 4-1 in GSAC play, tied for second with The Master’s University. They face their toughest conference opponent, the No. 3 Westmont College Warriors, in their next match, an away game on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.
