The No. 4-ranked Biola University volleyball team returns once again to the 2012 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Tournament presented by CNOS Foundation this week at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Eagles, who enter the tournament with a 27-4 overall record, open with three pool play matches Tuesday through Thursday, meeting two teams for the first time in program history.
The Eagles open the tournament on Tuesday against Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) at 1:00 p.m. (CT). On Wednesday, Biola takes on No. 17 Missouri Baptist beginning at 1:00 p.m. Pool Play wraps up on Thursday with the Eagles battling No. 9 Lee University at 3:15 p.m. in a rematch of last year's NAIA Quarterfinal match.
The top two teams from each of the six pools advance to the bracket portion of the tournament which begins on Friday morning.
This is Biola's 12th NAIA Tournament appearance and its sixth-straight. The Eagles are 42-21 all-time in the NAIA Tournament and have reached the quarterfinals in 10 of their previous 11 trips.
FREE COVERAGE: Live stats and live video streaming will be available for all of Biola's matches courtesy of the Biola Athletic Department. Josh Banker will provide play-by-play via the video broadcast for each match with an HD broadcast made available this year courtesy of the Buckley and Mather families. Links for these broadcasts and live stats can be found on the Biola Athletics Website at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/biola.portal. Both live stats and live video are available via mobile devices as well so you can stay on top of the action even if you are away from a computer.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: The Eagles reached the NAIA Tournament by earning one of eight at-large berths. Biola wrapped up the 2012 regular season with a 27-4 overall record, finishing second in the incredibly-tough GSAC with a 12-2 mark. A solid start to the season helped the Eagles stay in the top five all season, finishing No. 4 in the final NAIA rankings, giving Biola an Opening Round bye for the fifth-straight season.
BATTLE TESTED: Once again, Biola played one of the most difficult schedules in the NAIA, facing 11 teams in the NAIA Top 25 including eight in the Top 10 and four in GSAC play. The Eagles are 8-3 against nationally-ranked opponents with their three losses coming to teams ranked No. 1 or No. 2.
BIOLA IN THE NAIA TOURNAMENT: The Eagles are making their sixth-consecutive trip to the NAIA Tournament and their 12th overall. Biola has reached the quarterfinals in 10 of its previous 11 appearances including a pair of National Runner-Up finishes (1985 and 1997). The Eagles have an impressive 42-21 all-time record in tournament matches, the second-most wins of any active NAIA team and an impressive .667 winning percentage.
In 2011, Biola again reached the NAIA Quarterfinals after pulling off an upset to win its pool. In bracket play, the Eagles defeated rival Fresno Pacific in five, before falling in the quarters to Lee.
SCOUTING LINDSEY WILSON: The Blue Raiders (29-12) are making their first-ever trip to the NAIA National Final Site after winning in dominating fashion over Grand View (Iowa) in the Opening Round. Lindsey Wilson earned an automatic berth to the NAIA Tournament by virtue of winning the Mid-South Conference Tournament in four sets over No. 15 Georgetown (Ky.).
The Blue Raiders got off to a tough start to the season, going 2-6 through their first eight games. After winning 21 of its next 23 matches, Lindsey Wilson hit a rough patch and lost four-straight. However, the Blue Raiders have won six-straight to close out the season including three-straight to take the MSC Tournament title.
The members of the Lindsey Wilson team earned First-Team All-MSC honors including outside hitter Courtney Doyle, who was named the MSC Freshman of the Year. Doyle was third in the conference this season in kills (372) and kills per set (3.4). Also named to the squad was senior setter Andrea Taylor and sophomore right-side hitter Sarah Anderson.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. However, Biola is 4-0 all-time against Mid-South Conference teams.
SCOUTING MISSOURI BAPTIST: The Spartans (34-3) are making their fifth NAIA National Tournament appearance after earning the sixth of eight at-large berths. Missouri Baptist placed second in the America Midwest Conference and third in the AMC Tournament.
The Spartans opened the season with a school-record 22-0 record and lost just three times during the regular season. Off the three losses, two were against conference-foe and No. 3-ranked Columbia College. The other came against Park University in the conference semifinals. Most impressive is that the team won 34 matches with five new starters.
Missouri Baptist reached the NAIA Final site by virtue of a 25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 25-27, 15-11 win over Spring Hill College, a team which Biola faced in last season's pool play.
Three Spartans earned All-AMC honors including freshman right-side hitter Hannah Carey, who earned AMC Freshman of the Year honors. Carey averaged 2.9 kills per set and ranks fourth in the NAIA in aces with 74 on the year.
This is the first time Biola will face Missouri Baptist, though the Eagles are 1-3 against the AMC with all of those previous matches coming against Columbia.
SCOUTING LEE: The Lady Flames (28-9) return to the NAIA Tournament for the 11th time and have a record of 19-22 in tournament matches. Lee earned an automatic berth to the NAIA Tournament by virtue of winning the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament with a hard-fought, five-set win over Spring Hill College.
After getting off to a 6-5 start, Lee has come on strong by winning 22 of its last 26. That includes a streak of eight-straight wins entering the tournament. The Flames were just 5-6 against teams ranked in the NAIA National Coaches Poll and just 2-5 against teams in the Top 10.
Lee placed four players on the All-SSAC team including Player of the Year Irene Ojukwu. The junior outside hitter averaged 3.38 kills and 0.44 blocks per set. In addition, middle blocker Nicole Sumida earned Freshman of the Year honors with a 2.37 kills per set and a .274 attack percentage.
Lee and Biola are no strangers on the court, having met five times including three in the last three seasons. Earlier this year, the Eagles knocked off the Flames in four at the Concordia Labor Day Classic. Lee won the previous two matches including knocking Biola out of the NAIA tournament in three sets last season.
ALL-GSAC: Biola was well represented on the All-Golden State Athletic Conference team as senior Christine Douglas, juniors Chelsee Arnitz and Gracee Gallarda and sophomore Amy Weststeyn were named to the all-conference squad this year. The quartet of Eagles was the most for Biola on the All-GSAC team since 1998.
Douglas, who made her third-straight appearance on the all-conference squad, led the GSAC and ranked 18th in the NAIA in kills per set, averaging 4.00 after recording 332 on the season. Her .291 attack percentage is tied for the best by an outside hitter in the GSAC.
Weststeyn, who is also repeating as an All-GSAC pick, ranked second in the GSAC and third in the NAIA in attack percentage at .407 and led the GSAC in blocks per set at 1.05. Weststeyn also recorded 257 kills, averaging 2.92 per set, which ranked ninth the GSAC.
Arnitz led the conference in attack percentage with a .423 mark, barely missing the minimums to also lead the NAIA in that category. She finished 13th in the GSAC in kills, averaging 2.48 and recording 190 on the season, while placing 12th in blocks with 41--0.68 per set.
Gallarda transitioned well to Biola's true 5-1 offense this season. She led the GSAC and ranked ninth in the NAIA with 10.92 assists per set, with 47 percent of her sets leading to kills. In addition she led the team in and ranked sixth in the conference in aces with 31 and also added 31 blocks.
WESTSTEYN NAMED NAIA PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Amy Weststeyn was named the NAIA Player of the Week for the week of October 15-21. Weststeyn recorded 24 kills with just one error in 39 swings for an impressive .590 attack percentage as Biola swept former GSAC foe Point Loma Nazarene and No. 8-ranked The Master's College.
Weststeyn was nearly perfect in the sweep at PLNU as she recorded 14 kills on 18 swings with no errors. She also added five digs and a season-high three aces. Weststeyn followed that up by collecting 10 more kills, six blocks–including two solo–and a pair of digs in a sweep over No. 8 The Master's.
In two matches, Weststeyn recorded 24 kills on 39 attacks--a hitting percentage of .590--eight blocks, seven digs and four aces.
SENIORS NEARING MILESTONES: Biola's four seniors have reached or are close to reaching important career milestones. Earlier this season, Rachel Buckley recorded her 300th career block in a sweep over Hope Int'l on Oct. 25. She currently has 308 blocks, ranking her seventh all-time, just five behind Kristen Peterson (2005-08) for sixth.
Christine Douglas, who recorded her 1,000th career kill during last season's national tournament, is eight shy of 1,400 in her career. She currently is seventh all-time in kills and has the second-most kills over a three-year career at Biola.
Nicolette Mather looks to join Douglas in the 1,000 kill club, needing just nine to become the 12th Eagle to reach that mark.
Justine Schoneveld is just eight assists away from 2,000 in her career, which would make her just the 10th Biola player to reach that mark.
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS: Biola ranks in the top 40 in four national statistical categories. Among them, the Eagles are No. 5 in assists per set (13.18), attack percentage (.294) and kills per set (13.03). Biola also ranks 18th in blocks per set with 2.32.
Individually, Amy Weststeyn is third in the NAIA in attack percentage at .407 and ranks 40th in blocks per set at 1.04. Gracee Gallarda ranks ninth in assists per set with 10.92 while Christine Douglas is 18th in kills per set (3.99).
WINNING FORMULA: Biola's 27-4 record is its best since 2008 and its 24th 20-plus win season in program history. The Eagles need just one more win to reach 900 in 44 years as a varsity sport and have finished with a .500 or better record in all but two of those seasons.
NEUTRAL SITE MAGIC: Biola has rolled to a perfect 9-0 record in neutral site matches this season including going 3-0 at the Southern Oregon Classic, 4-0 at the Concordia Labor Day Festival and 2-0 at the Vanguard Classic. Since 2006, the Eagles are 75-15 in neutral site matches.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: Despite playing in the toughest volleyball conference in the NAIA, Biola has had a measure of success against non-conference opponents under Coach Seltzer. The Eagles are 136-30 (.819 winning percentage) in non-conference matches, which includes matches against conference teams in the NAIA tournament.
BIOLA IN THE NAIA TOURNAMENT: Under Head Coach Aaron Seltzer, the Eagles have made seven trips in 11 years to the NAIA Tournament and are 19-9 at the tournament, reaching the quarterfinals in four of those seasons.
