Box Score
LONG BEACH, Calif. --- While they are a program just getting off the ground, the Biola women's water polo squad proved to be ready for the limelight. In their second game of the day and their second game as a program, the Eagles (1-1) rose to the occasion and nabbed a huge 16-7 win over La Verne. 

"It feels great to finally be in competition and it feels great to get that first win. It's hard with a new program to know what you have but everyone came together and stepped up," said head coach Sarah Orozco.

For the second-straight match, Ava LoBue showed her speed in the water and won the opening sprint. The quick opening possession did not turn into a score though, as neither team impacted the scoreboard in the first two minutes of action.

The Eagles changed the pace with goals on back-to-back possessions. Rachel Spadt and Lizzy Birch showed how dangerous they can be as a duo, giving BU the lead in the first period. Spadt forced a turnover, before converting on a pass from Birch on a Biola powerplay. Birch nabbed the next score, her first-career tally, on the next possession, thanks to an assist from Spadt.

"Adjustments are a big focus for us. We always want to bring the intensity and be ready to adjust to what the game demands," added Orozco.

The momentum stayed in Biola's favor as the second period began. Spadt maintained the offensive pressure with a score to start the new period. Paulina Cemo impressed as well, winning the sprint to give Biola the ball to start the second and nabbing her first goal as an Eagle to give BU a 4-0 lead.

ULV responded with three unanswered goals in a three minute stretch. The surge from the Leopards cut their deficit to one with two minutes left before the half. Maria Roldan Gonzalez and Kourtney Pyle each found the back of the net to give Biola some breathing room at 6-3, entering the halftime break.

The score remained at 6-3 for nearly half of the third period with both defenses holding strong. Spadt ended the drought, connecting on a penalty shot for her third goal of the contest. The very next possession, Cemo set up Birch for BU's eighth goal and a five-score lead.

The rest of the match followed a back-and-forth pattern. Each Leopard goal was answered by an Eagle goal, as Biola made sure to hold onto its five-goal edge.

Separation came in the final minutes of the contest. A 11-7 lead turned into a 16-7 victory for Biola, as the team piled on five-straight goals without any response from the Leopards.

UCLA/Long Beach Stats transfer Spadt ultimately came up with six goals in the win and seven total on Sunday. Pyle was the next highest scorer for Biola, tallying four scores of her own.

Birch made a major impact on the offense, acting as the main distributor with three assists to go along with two goals. LoBue also added multiple assists with two in the win and came up big on defense with a team-best five steals.

Biola will hold its first home contest on Friday at 1:00 pm against UC Santa Barbara. "Friday we have a tough matchup against a solid NCAA DI opponent, so we will see how we size up against a top-tier foe," commented Orozco.