BOX SCORE

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Senior Meghan Warkentin had 12 kills and posted a .579 attack percentage as No. 4 Biola swept Hope International 25-17, 25-17, 25-19 on Tuesday night at Chase Gymnasium.

The Eagles improve to 15-0 on the season with the victory and are now 5-0 in GSAC play. The Royals drop to 4-7 and 1-4 in the conference. Biola's 15-straight wins to open the season matches the second-best start in the program's 39-year history. The Eagles opened the 2002 season at 15-0 while the school record is 23-straight wins coming in 1996.

Warkentin, a two-time NAIA All-American, had another strong hitting night, picking up 12 kills in 19 attacks with just one error. She added two digs an assist and a service ace. Senior middle blocker Kristen Peterson and outside hitter Jessica Buffum each added seven kills and three blocks.

The Eagles jumped out to a quick 14-4 lead in the first set thanks to strong serving by Warkentin and a back-to-back blocks by Peterson. Hope would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way as Biola hit .385 in that set to the Royals' .097.

Hope held an early 9-7 lead in the second set thanks to a bit of sloppy play on the part of the Eagles. However, Biola got back into the set courtesy of senior setter Christina Perkins, who served five straight points to take back the lead at 12-9. The Eagles led 15-13 when they broke the set open with an 8-1 to win going away.

There were few long runs for either team in the third set. Biola never trailed in the set, scoring the first two points and trading points with the Royals throughout. The Eagles did have one short run of five-straight points with freshman Christian Woodruff serving late in the set to put away the match.

Perkins had a strong night for the Eagles with 23 assists and nine digs to go along with a kill and a service ace. Setting tandem partner Abbie Wright added 16 assists, three digs and a service ace.

Hope was led by freshman outside hitter Naomi Iosia, who had a match-high 13 kills and added a solo block. Junior outside hitter Amanda Elliott added nine kills in the losing effort.

Biola returns to action on Saturday (Sept. 27), traveling to Irvine for a big matchup against No. 3 Concordia University slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. Concordia was shocked on Tuesday night by No. 10 Vanguard, who swept the Eagles in Costa Mesa.