LA MIRADA --- Biola volleyball has a fresh, new look with the 2024 season on the horizon. The upcoming campaign is set to begin on Thursday with high hopes and an aura of excitement building around the program.

A coaching switcheroo came in the offseason, as Aaron Seltzer stepped down as head coach and handed off the reins to Brian Failinger. Failinger will enter his first year as a collegiate head coach, after spending four years as an assistant coach for the Eagles. Seltzer remained on staff with the change, as the lead assistant coach.

Failinger is ready for the challenge of his first season at the helm, "I'm really excited for the camaraderie this year. This is one of the most united and single-minded teams I've seen."

The BU team is coming off an 18-9 2023 campaign with 14 wins in PacWest play for a fourth-straight top-four finish in the conference.

The 2024 BU volleyball roster has nine newcomers, including seven freshmen. With five sophomores, the Eagles have a young team with 12 freshmen and sophomores and eight juniors and seniors. 

 "Even though we're young, I think there's a lot of humility and desire to fight for relationship with our teammates, and those two things go a very long way in a team's success," added Failinger.

2024 Newcomers

Lexi Lambert
Coach Failinger - "Lexi came to us at the semester break, and has already had a huge impact on our team. She is driven and steady, and I believe it says a lot about her character that she has earned a leadership role after only being in the program for one semester. I see her playing a big role in running our offense this year.

Abbey Beckwith
Coach Failinger - "Abbey transferred over after completing her degree at Westcliff University, and we're excited about the experience she's bringing into that role. I see her being a great mentor and teacher for our younger players in that position, as we have two other middles who are in their first season of competition."

Ashley Shumate
Coach Failinger - "Ashley will be a great player for us on the pin. Her height and length will make her a great asset defensively, and I'm looking forward to her developing her arm to become a great offensive weapon as well. She will be redshirting this year due to an injury, so it will be a great opportunity for her to learn and get better without the pressure of competing for a spot yet."

Grace Rice
Coach Failinger - "I'm most excited for Grace's athleticism and her ability to run down difficult balls. She has great hands and is a very smart player, so once she gets used to our system, I think she will develop into a setter who is great at getting her hitters one-on-one opportunities."

Emma Fairbairn
Coach Failinger - "I'm really excited about Emma, she has a great drive to be excellent as a volleyball player, and will play a role for us this year on the pins. I love her determination to learn and master skills and the systems we're trying to run, and she is always asking questions to make sure she understands concepts fully. She's going to be a fantastic player."

Abby Thies
Coach Failinger - "Abby comes to join her former high school teammates Payton Tully and Madison Moore. The thing that most stuck out to me about Abby is the joy of the Lord just radiates off of her. She has a defiant and infectious joy, accompanied by great depth of thought and love for others. Add on the great serve receive, and she's exactly the kind of kid we want in our program."

Camille Solovjev
Coach Failinger - "Camille is another local talent who has had success at both the high school and club levels. She has medaled at USAV national championships, and been a CIF champion for her high school, and we're excited about her understanding of what it takes to succeed at high level volleyball. She'll be a great addition to the program."

Sophia Knevelbaard
Coach Failinger - "I'm a huge fan of Sophia. Watching her play on the club circuit showed how steady and consistent she is as a player. We always know what we're going to get out of her, but she is also intent on improving as a player, which is a great combination. She is also on fire for the Lord, and I picture her growing into a great spiritual leader for our program."

Simi Kapustova
Coach Failinger - "I think the first thing to say about Simi is she's a baller. She is incredibly athletic, and has been trained exceptionally well, and is just a really smart player. Even though she is young, I see her playing a big role for us this year, and am very excited to get to coach her."