LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Senior middle blocker
Tavea Hampton recorded 16 kills, four blocks and posted a .519 attack percentage to lead No. 7 Biola to a 25-19, 25-23, 25-12 sweep over Westmont College in a GSAC match on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles pick up their second-straight victory and improve to 24-7 on the season, 15-3 in GSAC play. The Warriors drop to 13-14 and fall to 7-11 in the conference.
Hampton, who is coming off a career-high 20-kill performance in a five-set win at Vanguard on Thursday, nearly set a new standard, opening the match with eight kills in 11 swings in the first set alone. She would tally four in the next two sets to lead the Biola offense, finishing with 16 kills in 27 swings and two errors for a .519 attack percentage.
Sophomore
Nicolette Mather added nine kills and two blocks.
Biola got out to a quick start, breaking a 7-7 tie early in the first set with a 6-1 run to take a 13-8 lead. Westmont closed the gap to two at 16-14, but Biola would respond by scoring seven of the next nine points to take a commanding 23-16. The Eagles would cruise from there, ending the set with two kills by Hampton for their final two points.
In the second, the Warriors came alive, jumping all over Biola early with a 12-7 run to start the set. The Eagles rallied to tie the score at 14-14, but Westmont answered right back with a 7-2 run to go up 21-16. But three-straight errors by the Warriors and a kill by Mather gave the Eagles pulled the home side back to within one point at 21-20. A few points later, the Warriors took back control thanks to a block on Hampton to go up 23-21. But the Eagles would score the final four points of the set, capping the run with an ace by freshman libero
Emily Weingartner to win 25-23.
Biola had little trouble in the third, opening the set with a 9-2 run and never looking back. Biola got back to playing solid defense, forcing nine attack errors by the Warriors and holding them to a -.118 attack percentage.
The Eagles wound up hitting .216 in the match to Westmont's .080 attack percentage and out-dug the Warriors 57-48.
Biola wraps up the home portion of the regular-season schedule on Tuesday, hosting San Diego Christian at 7:00 p.m. at Chase Gymnasium. After the match, the Eagles will honor their four graduating seniors with a special ceremony.