LA MIRADA, Calif. --- The Biola Eagles had difficulty gaining traction in their first competition in nine days. Despite making a game of it in individual sets with their opponents, the Eagles were unable to take any pairing from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo Vulcans and lost 9-0.

The Vulcans jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with straight-set victories at No. 1, No. 4 and No. 6 singles before the Eagles started to mount a protest. At that point, Tinisee Kandakai and Madison Swaney dug deep during their second sets and threatened to take their match from their opponents.

Kandakai pushed the second set of her match into a 6-6 tiebreaker and held a 5-1 lead and a 7-7 tie in the breaker before Sara Marin successfully completed her comeback surge to win the match 6-2, 7-6 (9-7). Swaney's match carried on longer as the freshman took a firm grip on her second set with a 6-1 result. The freshman was clicking on all cylinders in that second set and showed that she has a very high ceiling as the Eagles' No. 2 singles player as she continues to train.

But the break between sets had its effects on Swaney and allowed Daniela Sanz to regroup for a third-set win and another point for UHH.

As competition shifted to doubles play, Biola's dependably strong No. 1 doubles team of Esther Lee and Lauren Lee played well again but lost in a 7-4 tiebreak. E. Lee and L. Lee have yet to lose two matches in a row at No. 1 doubles so a rebound against the Whitworth Pirates in Wedneday's competition seems likely.

Play at the Biola Tennis Center on Wednesday is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.