SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --- For the fifth time in seven days Biola Volleyball competed in the Bay Area. The Eagles are enjoying their two preseason tournaments there so far, improving to 4-1 on the season with today's 3-1 win over San Francisco State.
 
Biola is now 2-0 on the season against the Gators, this time getting them inside their own gym. Both wins came in four sets, with SFSU squeaking out a 26-24 set two victory in this evening's match (25-22, 24-26, 25-13, 25-15).
 
Savannah Hilde was the story of the match for the Eagles as the redshirt freshman was dominant from start to finish in this go around. She's had two great efforts back-to-back, but today was especially great as she set a career-high for kills (12) and recorded a double double with 13 digs.
 
"Savannah stepped up and did a really good job," said Seltzer. "She played all the way around and was very economical offensively. She made great decisions all match long."
 
Sabrina Winslow was another standout attacker who made an especially large impact late in the match with six kills in the final set.  She led the team with 15 kills in the match and did so while hitting .316.
 
The Eagles were close to earning a sweep in the match, which would've been a first on the season, but SFSU managed to grab a win with extra points in the second set. Biola led the set as late as 18-15, but a run of seven rally wins in a row by the Gators helped put them in the driver's seat and play comfortably as things got dicey at the end of the set.
 
One of the keys to the win for the Eagles was dominant control over the net all night long. The team out-blocked the host institution 16-4 in what was the third match of the season where BU managed at least 15 blocks.
 
Six of those 16 blocks were solo blocks, which is a new season-high. Bekah Roth led the effort with three solo blocks and six block assists to set a new personal season-best. She ended the match with a solo block to clinch the Eagles' 25-15 win in set five.
 
"We blocked very well and stuck to the game plan well," said Seltzer. "Bekah did really well blocking-wise. The three freshmen who played for us have been doing really, really well."
 
Continuing the theme of fantastic freshman performances was Vanessa Garcia. The Eagles' new setter racked up 21 assists, got in on two blocks and recorded three kills of her own. All that came after she got inserted into the match very late in the second set.
 
Biola improves to 4-1 on the season with the victory and will continue play at the 2017 NCAA Division II West Region Showcase at noon on Friday. Biola continues play at SFSU once again, facing CSU Monterey Bay. It will be the third all-time meeting between Eagles and Otters.
 
Follow the match with live video at this link and live stats here.