It was a tough week for the Lady Eagles as they went up against two of the top three teams in the nation and came out on the losing side in both matches, snapping Biola’s 15-match winning streak.
On Saturday, Biola traveled to Irvine to take on the third-ranked Concordia Eagles but fell short as Concordia dominated Biola defensively and never let them get their offense on track. According to the Biola Athletic Department, Biola’s .086 hitting percentage was her worst offensive output since the
2005 season. No Biola players were able to record double-digit kill totals, despite having six players with at least ten attempts.
The Eagles were led by senior outside hitter Jessica Buffum, who recorded six kills to complement her ten digs. Senior Maggie McGill made the most of her 11 attempts, recording four kills to lead Biola in efficiency, finishing with a .273 hitting percentage.
In the first two sets, Biola struggled to keep the games close, allowing Concordia to rack up points in bunches; they allowed two runs of seven points and one run of eight points. At one point in the second set, Biola trailed
12-2 and ended up losing 25-14, her worst defeat of the season.
In the third set, Biola began to show signs of life, trading points with Concordia all the up to a 12-all tie, but couldn’t hold the momentum and the would-be comeback fell short.
Hoping to get back on track with a win after falling short earlier in the week, Biola hosted the top-ranked Fresno Pacific Sunbirds. Playing in front of a raucous Biola crowd of nearly 1,000, the Eagles delivered an exciting match but fell short in the final set. Fans packed out Chase Gymnasium hoping to see the Eagles repeat last season’s five-set stunning upset of the Sunbirds, the team’s only defeat on their way to the national championship.
The Eagles appeared to be feeling the effect of Saturday’s crushing defeat to Concordia early on in the match, dropping the first two sets but were able to keep it close at 25-20 and 25-20. In the second set, Biola had a late chance with a 19-16 lead, but Fresno won seven of the final eight points to close the set and go up 2-0. However, the third and fourth sets belonged to Biola as the dynamic duo of senior outside hitters Meghan Warketin and Jessica Buffum carried the Eagles to 25-22 and 25-20 victories. That night, both hitters racked up
huge attack totals, combining for over 90 attempts. Warkentin finished with 17 kills, ten digs and two service aces, while Buffum recorded 15 kills on the way to a .261 hitting percentage.
The fifth set featured a re-energized Fresno team that started strong with a 6-0 run, temporarily silencing the Eagle faithful. Biola was able pull within two at 10-12, but a Fresno timeout slowed the momentum and the Sunbirds walked away with a 15-12 win.
