LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Both Biola tennis team suffered losses in afternoon matches on Thursday, and neither match was really all that close.

The Eagles' men recently reached a new height when they became a team right on the outskirts of the NAIA top 25 by receiving votes in the coaches' poll. Since that point though, the Eagles are just 2-3, including today's 9-0 loss to Whittier College.
 
"Whittier is a great team," said Head Coach David Goodman. "When we lose all three doubles it is hard to come back from such a deficit."
 
The three losses in doubles did not set up for an easy go in singles competition as Biola failed to pick up a single set against the Poets.
 
The Eagles did not really get anywhere close to picking up a set, as their highest scoring output in any set was four points.
 
It was a tough setback for a team that has been playing well and exceeding expectations all season long. The rocky play at doubles seemingly swayed the ship south for the remainder of the match.
 
Biola now sits at 5-7 on the season, while Whittier improved to 4-3 overall.
 
The Eagles have a chance to rebound from this loss tomorrow afternoon when they host Sewanee University at the Biola Tennis Center.
 
"The rest of our season will be determined on how well we can play in the doubles matches," said Goodman.
 
While the women's team had a little bit more success, it was still a tough afternoon for Biola in a 7-2 loss at the hands of No. 13 Concordia.
 
The Eagles picked up points at the crucial No. 1 singles spot and then at the last doubles pairing, but dropped every other match in the loss.
 
Kathryn Ashford improved to 7-2 on the season with a solid singles sweep (6-3, 6-0) over the No. 25 player in the country, Mona Piller.
 
"Kat struck the ball well and had great shot selection," said Head Coach Dee Henry.
 
Maura Lopez and Paige Erickson had to battle on every single serve and counter as they worked their way to a gritty win at No. 3 doubles to get Biola a second point.
 
The two had to get the win in a tiebreaker as they worked against Caitlin Uzzi and Kristin Lampe in a 9-8 affair.
 
"Lauren and Paige struggled near the end, but they put constant pressure on their opponents at the right time to win the breaker," said Henry.
 
The loss pushes Biola to 3-9 (0-5 GSAC) and improves Concordia to 3-6 (3-2 GSAC).
 
The Eagles get back onto the court on Saturday for a midday matchup with Sewanee University, also at the Biola Tennis Center.