Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Freshman Joclyn Kirton recorded a team-high 12 kills while senior Christine Douglas added 11 as Biola renewed its rivalry with Azusa Pacific by sweeping the Cougars 25-18, 25-16, 25-20 in a non-conference match on Tuesday night at Chase Gymnasium.

The Eagles close out the regular season with a 27-4 record while dropping the Cougars to 21-9. 

The teams met for the first time with nothing significant on the line. After 18 years as GSAC foes, Azusa Pacific is in its first season in a different conference, moving to the NCAA Division II ranks. Thus, a series that had been an intense rivalry since 1971, was just another regular-season, non-conference match.

Kirton, who as a freshman knew nothing of the old APU-Biola rivalry, recorded 12 kills, adding a block and posting a .370 attack percentage to pce the Eagles. Douglas contributed 11 kills and three blocks as well.

Senior Nicolette Mather had a great match defensively, recording six blocks--two solo--to go along with five kills for the Eagles. Four of those blocks came in the third set alone.

Junior Chelsee Arnitz was solid in the match as well, recording seven kills in 10 swings while playing in just two sets to record a .700 attack percentage.

In the first set, Biola came out firing, jumping out to a 7-3 lead in the match with five-straight points on kills--including two from Kirton and two from Arnitz. Biola maintained the 4-5 point lead until using a four-point run to break open a 22-15 lead late in the contest. The Eagles would trade points the rest of the way and take the first set 25-18.

The second set started with the Cougars opening a 5-1 lead. But the Eagles responded in a big way, using a long 11-2 run to take a commanding 12-7 lead. A short time later, Amy Weststeyn led a five-point Biola run with a pair of kills to give Biola a 20-11 lead. A pair of points by APU cut into the lead, but Douglas recorded a kill followed by back-to-back aces from freshman Alex Brehaut. The Eagles would move on to a 25-16 win and a 2-0 lead.

Azusa Pacific used an 8-1 run to take an 11-8 lead and held a 15-13 lead before Biola came alive. The Eagles used an 8-2 run to take back the lead at 21-17. Azusa Pacific could get no closer than two the rest of the way and Biola held on for the 25-20 win. The third set was a bit of a sloppy one with the teams combining for 21 attack and service errors between them. 

Biola posted a team attack percentage of .270, adding 10 blocks and 54 digs. Junior Tara Rallis had 18 of those digs with sophomore Charley Parker adding 13. The Eagles' defense held Azusa Pacific to a .092 attack percentage.

The match was the final regular season contest for both teams, with Azusa Pacific heading to Riverside on Thursday to open the NCCAA West Regional tournament at California Baptist University. Biola prepares for its sixth-straight trip to the NAIA National Tournament, which takes place in Sioux City, Iowa beginning on Tuesday, November 27.