Box Score FULLERTON, Calif. --- Through just 14 matches No. 15 Biola Volleyball already has more five-set matches (6) than it had through all 34 of its contests (5) last year. Fortunately for Head Coach Aaron Seltzer's bunch they found a way to grit through the extra play on Tuesday night to escape Fullerton with a 3-2 (25-18, 25-10, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12) win.
 
It was the first time since 2004 and second time ever that Biola and Hope International went five sets in a volleyball match. With tonight's win the Eagles improved to 39-1 all-time against the Royals.
 
"We were very impressed with the fact that they came back," said Seltzer. "They (Hope International) played hard, made good adjustments and really battled with us to make this match as close as it was."
 
Despite not playing at its peak efficiency Biola was able escape with two early set victories because of some misplayed balls by the home team. The Royals hit just -.026 in the first set and -.212 in the second set as Biola claimed a 2-0 lead in the match despite only having 19 total kills of its own.
 
The third set was a disappointment for the Eagles as they held a 6-1 lead right out of the gate and seemed destined for a tidy three-set victory until the Royals came storming back later in the set. Biola got stuck in an unfavorable spot and saw accumulate 10 points in a row to put themselves in a solid position to steal a set with a 17-13 score line on their home court.
 
HIU recorded three blocks during that 10-point stretch. Those three accounted for under a quarter of the 13 total blocks that occurred in the third set as attackers could not seem to find a clear lane to the floor. The block was a key weapon all night long as the teams combined for 27 total blocks in the match.
 
Ultimately the Royals would finish with a 25-22 win in the third set, successfully staving off a late rally that saw Biola win six of eight points to tighten things up.
 
They did the same kind of staving off in the fourth set when they wrapped up a 25-23 victory despite BU tying the game three times in the late stages of the set.
 
Experience and good coaching proved vital in a back-and-forth fifth set. Things started off looking bleak for the Eagles as some early mistakes helped HIU get off to an 8-4 advantage when the teams switched sides of the court.
 
That lead held even later as the host school stayed ahead until it was 11-7 and really seemed like things were primed for a major upset. Seltzer and his staff made some subs at that point and the Eagles were able to rattle off six points in a row that really changed the landscape of the set and match.
 
"Abbie Wright (assistant coach) made a really, really good adjustment at the end of this match that really helped us come out with a win," said Seltzer. "She had been telling me to make the change all fifth set, and when we finally did it paid off."
 
That switch helped rejuvenate the BU attack as BU managed to win eight of the final nine points of the match to move to 1-0 in Golden State Athletic Conference play and 3-3 in five-set matches in 2016. HIU falls to 0-3 in five-set matches and 4-5 overall.
 
Sierra Bauder and Brinley Beresford were absolutely crucial to the Eagles' point accumulation at the end of this match. Bauder was set in the slide on what seemed like every attack and really cashed in to gather two kills as part of Biola's final four points. Beresford set her on those kills, but she also combined with Bauder on two different blocks that accounted for points 11 and 13 for BU.
 
Of course, the Eagles' defense was critical to its ability to gather eight out of nine points. Anna Houser and Tess Van Grouw were active all night long, but especially super in set five as they made wise decisions against the HIU attacks and put out some strong passes.
 
"Tess and Anna both played really well," said Seltzer. "They were both really locked down, and when they are both in it is really, really good for us."
 
Van Grouw had another 30-dig performance and Houser posted 16 of her own to tie her season-high.
 
Karly Dantuma was in beast mode from start-to-finish from the right side. She again led the team in kills with 16 and hit at a team-best .313 clip. She was also in on four blocks in a solid all-around performance.
 
Ally Forsberg was again spectacular around the net. The junior middle got in on six of Biola's 15 blocks and had 11 kills at a .280 clip.
 
Biola improves to 9-5 overall and starts GSAC play on the right foot. The Eagles have not lost a GSAC opener since the 2006 season. BU is back on the road this weekend as it continues conference play against Arizona Christian (1-1) in Arizona at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.