Box Score
SIOUX CITY, Iowa --- Facing its biggest challenge of the pool play round, No. 21 Biola Volleyball and Head Coach Aaron Seltzer threw the kitchen sink at No. 4 Lindsey Wilson early on Wednesday morning, but ultimately fell short in a 3-1 loss (25-23, 14-25, 18-25, 23-25).
 
The No. 3 seeded Eagles were facing Pool D's No. 1 seed in the Blue Raiders and were going up against a team that has just one loss in 2016 and is the top hitting team in the nation.
 
Biola kept pace with LWC for large stretches throughout the match and even had the team sweating throughout the entire fourth set as it looked like it would definitely push the game into a fifth.
 
The most obvious difference between the two sides that swung the match in the favor of the Blue Raiders was the size of the team in the blue uniforms. LWC had height advantages at just about every position, which helped them get on top of balls better on the attack and lifted them to a massive advantage in blocks (13-4).
 
Despite all that was working against it, Biola came out and played one of the most hard fought matches of its season as it forced the issue early on against the pool leader.
 
The Eagles were able to win the first set because of a long run in the middle of the set where the team reeled off seven points in a row to build up a lead that was just big enough to sustain a late Lindsey Wilson run. The Eagles turned a 15-12 deficit into a 19-15 lead and had just enough steam down the stretch to hold on for a two-point win.
 
Biola's serve was its best weapon throughout the match. The Eagles had three service aces in the first set and ended with seven on the day. The serve was the biggest struggle for LWC as the Blue Raiders ended with just four aces and nine service errors.
 
Sets two and three went pretty heavily in the favor of Lindsey Wilson, but the momentum began to shift late in the third as Biola regained some of its early confidence with a flurry of points late in the frame.
 
They would lose that third set 25-18, but the team scored six of the final nine points, including a stretch of three in a row secured by Emily Segel. Segel's surge of back-to-back-to-back successful attacks lifted the team's spirits immensely and prepared the Eagles for the battle that was the fourth set.
 
In the fourth set the game was tied or the lead was changed a total of 23 times. After LWC stormed out to a quick 7-4 advantage Biola was able to work its way back to 8-8 and then the fun began. No team led by more than three points at any point throughout the rest of the set as both teams managed to find a way to get pace with their opponent.
 
Biola's latest lead in the set was 20-19. The Eagles were the first team to reach 20 when a Hannah van Warmerdam kill put them up 20-17, but ultimately a run of four straight LWC points after that lifted the Blue Raiders to victory.
 
The Eagles' back row did a great job of dealing with the dangerous attackers on the deep LWC roster. Since the Eagles' block numbers were down Tess Van Grouw and crew had to be especially active to keep the match close.
 
Tori Moons actually led the effort with 16 digs, followed by Van Grouw's 13 and Kaitlin O'Brien's 10. Biola had 59 digs when the match wrapped up after the fourth.
 
Karly Dantuma was the only Biola attacker to reach double-digits in kills. She ended with 13 kills but could hit just .048 against the dominant blockers of Lindsey Wilson. Biola hit .088 as a team compared to LWC's .277.
 
The Eagles fall to 1-1 in pool play, while the Blue Raiders improve to 2-0. Pool D wraps up tomorrow morning. The Eagles have a chance to secure a second place finish and ticket to the round of 16 with a win over Tabor (Kan.). Biola and Tabor face-off at 7:00 a.m. PT.
 
More information on the matchup will be released later this evening.