SIOUX CITY, Iowa --- Freshman middle blocker Amy Weststeyn had 19 kills including a big one on match point as Biola overcame a two-set deficit for the first time this season to beat No. 4 Embry-Riddle 17-25, 18-25, 25-18, 25-20, 17-15 and win Pool D on Thursday afternoon in the 2011 NAIA Volleyball National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa.

Biola (26-12) finishes pool play with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to the bracket portion of the tournament to face a familiar foe in Fresno Pacific University on Friday at 12:30 p.m. CT (10:30 a.m. PT). The winner of that match moves into the NAIA Quarterfinals, a level the Eagles have reached in nine of their last 10 NAIA Tournaments. 

Embry-Riddle (29-5) finishes second in the pool and also advances out of pool play to face No. 10 Southern Oregon also at 12:30 p.m. 

The victory was one of the only major upsets in the entire tournament, which has nearly gone exactly as seeded. The only other upset among the top 12 teams in the field came as No. 7 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) swept an short-handed Azusa Pacific squad which was ranked No. 6 overall.

The match was a tale of two Biola teams. In the first two sets, Biola played poor defense and could not do much offensively, losing bad to fall behind 2-0. However, things changed in a big way midway through the third set as the Biola used an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the set and eventually won 25-18. Another long 10-0 run in the fourth set gave Biola the win and forced a fifth where the team fought off a late run and some questionnable calls for the thrilling win.

With Biola trailing 2-0 early on, it looked as though Embry-Riddle would sweep its way to a win, opening up a 7-3 lead in the third. Biola rallied abck and eventually tied the set at 9-9. The teams would exchange points until a two-point stretch by ERAU made it a 16-14 game. However, things changed quickly as Biola scored four-straight including a pair of kills by Weststeyn.

That would start an 11-2 run which Biola used to close out the set. Leading 20-18, Biola got a huge point, surviving a long rally and ending it with a kill by Chrlsea Arnitz. On the next point, BIola played incredibly solid defense and held on for another point. After a timeout, Biola received back-to-back aces from Nicolette Mather with Arnitz closing out the set with a big kill.

Embry-Riddle rallied through the first part of the fourth set, going on a 7-2 run to take an early 11-7 lead. But Biola responded with a 10-point run to go up 17-11. Embry-Riddle rallied abck and closed the gap to three at 20-17 with a 5-1 run, but could get no closer as Weststeyn closed out the set with a kill.

In the fifth set, Biola trailed early, but used an 8-2 run to take a commanding 10-6 lead midway through the deciding set. Embry-Riddle was not finished though, and closed the gap to two at 11-9. Weststeyn stopped the rally with a big kill against no block to make it a 12-9 game. After a kill by Embry-Riddle made it 12-10, it looked as though an attack by Jordan Holcomb went well long, but a questionable touch call at the net gave the point to Embry-Riddle, making it 12-11.

After the questionable call, Chelsea Arnitz recorded a big kill to make it a 13-11 game. However, after a timeout by Embry, another highly questionable touch call gave a point to Embry-Riddle which made it 13-12 rather than 14-11. The ensuing serve by ERAU went long giving Biola its first match-point, but back-to-back points tied the score at 14-14. After the teams exchanged points, Biola got a great tip by Sarah McAtee which went over the block and down in front of the on-rushing libero, then a great kill by Amy Weststeyn to pull out the 17-15 win.

Weststeyn had a monster performance, recording 19 kills on 31 swings and posting a .484 attack percentage. She also had four blocks including one solo. McAtee added 15 kills and had a .250 attack percentage with Nicolette Mather contributing 12. 

Gracee Gallarda recorded team highs with 16 digs and 30 assists just one day after missing action due to a 24-hour flu. Sophomore Tara Rallis also had 16 digs in just four sets, coming on to play libero in relief. Her serving in the fourth set was key to Biola's 10-0 run and included a big ace. 

Embry-Riddle had a pair of players with 19 kills as Abby Hall and Jordan Holcomb led the team. Emily Jacobson had 13 kills and five blocks with Raylor Martin adding 12. 

Biola wins Pool D with the victory and earns the No. 6 seed out of the 12 teams which advance to the bracket portion of the tournament. It is the third time Biola has going 3-0 in pool play in six tournament appearances under Head Coach Aaron Seltzer. The previous two times came with Biola as the top seed in the pool. The Eagles are 4-0 in the first match of bracket play when not earning the bye under Seltzer.