LA MIRADA, Calif. — Biola Volleyball showed grit and growth on Wednesday night inside Chase Gymnasium, pushing nationally-ranked No. 4 Point Loma to four hard-fought sets before ultimately falling 3-1 (21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 21-25).

The result marked a step forward for the Eagles, who dropped a straight-set match to the Sea Lions earlier this fall in San Diego.

Biola (15-8, 5-3 PacWest) came out confident in front of the home crowd, playing Point Loma (20-2, 8-0 PacWest) nearly even through extended rallies that featured 36 ties and 15 lead changes throughout the match.

Biola totaled 68 team digs and eight blocks on the night, repeatedly turning away one of the league's most potent offenses. The Eagles' serve was locked in throughout the match as well, tucking in seven service aces. A memorable moment was when Ashlyn Beebe came in during Biola's third-set victory and picked up back-to-back aces, tying Bri Bellfi for the team lead.

At the net, Kendall Vandertuig led the attack with 15 kills and three block assists. Hannah Hanson was a model of efficiency, notching 12 kills on .444 hitting to go with 22 assists and a pair of aces. 

Simi Kapustova also had a solid night, putting down six kills on .600 hitting and adding six blocks to pace the Biola front line. 

The Eagles' most complete frame came in set three, where Biola hit .350 and secured a 25-23 victory to extend the match. Bri Bellfi served up her two aces and Hanson and Vandertuig each delivered key kills down the stretch to seal the set win.

Despite the loss, Biola's overall .203 attack percentage and 52 kills showed massive gains from the time these two teams did battle in Golden Gymnasium.

The Eagles challenged the PacWest's top team through long rallies and extended points, holding the Sea Lions to a .259 team hitting mark.

It's a quick turnaround for Biola as a busy week continues against their Southern California rivals. Coach Brian Failinger's bunch will play at Azusa Pacific on Friday night, before returning home for a matchup with Vanguard on Saturday night. Alumni are invited back on Saturday night as we host a night honoring long-time coach Aaron Seltzer.