SIOUX CITY, Iowa --- Biola faces a repeat opponent in the 2014 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Quarterfinals as Eastern Oregon comes off an epic five-set win over Georgetown (Ky.).
 
The Eagles and Mountaineers already met once this season at Concordia's Labor Day Tournament.  Biola took that match in four sets (25-19, 25-22, 24-26, 28-26), but it very easily could have gone to a fifth thanks to a stout EOU defensive row.
 
Amy Weststeyn and Alyssa Mason, Biola's top two hitters through the first three games of this tournament, were also its biggest weapons on that day in Irvine, California. They combined for 33 kills and hit around .300 on their combined attempts.
 
Eastern Oregon is a team with a very strong back row, led by its libero, Jessalyn Smith. The senior leads the tournament with an average of seven digs per set in the Mountaineers' five matches. Alex Brehaut leads Biola with 4.6 digs per set in the tournament.
 
"They probably have the best libero at this tournament. She is one of the best that I've seen," said Head Coach Aaron Seltzer. "They are a very, very good defensive team that works really well together."
 
The Mountaineers got 17 digs out of Smith the first time these two teams met, and second to her with 14 was Casey Loper. Loper doubles as EOU's primary attacking threat, with a double-double in that contest, adding 16 kills.
 
Loper is 22^nd in this tournament, averaging 3.5 kills per set with 74 total in the Mountaineer's first five matches. The offensive edge clearly goes to Biola, which is averaging nearly two kills per set more than EOU.
 
"We were very fortunate in our first matchup not to have gone five games," said Seltzer. "We are going to have our hands full with Casey, she is a stud."
 
Biola is facing a stud attacker for the second straight day, having gone against Alicia Olson, a reigning NAIA All-American and dominating attacker, in yesterday's match with Viterbo. The Eagles were able to slow down Olson with a bevy of blocks, especially late in the game.
 
The Eagles will need to continue the strong blocking play they featured through the final two games of pool play, with an average of 17 blocks per match. If Joclyn Kirton, Britta Blaser, Lauren Hoeneck, Crissy Cunningham and Weststeyn and Mason can contribute enough blocks, Biola will have a chance to counteract the defensive advantage that Smith and Loper provide for EOU.
 
Couple strong blocking with smart, strategic hitting that comes from the Eagles' film study and the advantage of being able to watch the Georgetown versus Eastern Oregon match and Biola could have a third-straight NAIA Semifinals appearance in its future.
 
The fresh No. 3-seeded Biola squad goes head-to-head with the tired No. 11-seeded Mountaineers at 6:00 p.m. PDT.
 
"I expect it to be tough and exciting. We will be fired up and ready to play," said Seltzer.
 
Get all the information about this matchup and the entire tournament here.