LA MIRADA --- On a night honoring the legendary coaching career of Aaron Seltzer, the Biola volleyball team took home an important conference win against the visiting Vanguard Lions in four sets (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17).
Kendall Vandertuig continued her impressive senior season, collecting 19 kills and 13 digs. Juliana Van Ommering matched Vandertuig's 19 kills while adding six digs of her own. The lefty Payton Tully bounced 12 kills, while Lexi Lambert and Hannah Hanson proved they could distribute the ball brilliantly, combining for 54 assists. Defensively, Bri Bellfi was everywhere, recording 21 digs and nine assists.
"In the pregame talk, we reminded the girls what we play for." stated head coach
Brian Failinger, "First and foremost, we play so God would be glorified. But we also played to honor someone who's given more to the Biola Volleyball program than anyone in its history. Seeing how hard the girls played is a direct reflection of how much they love Aaron."
The first set was close until a four-point run featuring kills from Hanson and Van Ommering shut the door on the Lions, 25-20. Six Eagles entered the scoring column in the set, showcasing the depth of the BU attack.
Vanguard found some momentum, going on a 13-6 run to start set two. The Eagles would tie it at 19 all, but a 6-2 Lions run outpaced Biola's attack. Vanguard would steal the second set, 25-21.
Tully and Vandertuig found their offensive groove in set three, combining for 12 kills. Simi Kapustova, Emma Fairbairn, and Hannah Guzzetti would add four total kills, while Van Ommering chipped in with two more, helping the Eagles edge out the Lions, 25-22. Kapustova anchored the net in set three, contributing to all three blocks.
After trading early points in the final frame, the Eagles pulled away with an 18–8 run, stretching the lead to nine. Six Eagles combined for 13 kills. Van Ommering would tack on three more kills, and Vandertuig would seal the victory, 25-17.
The Eagles improve to 16-9 overall and 6-4 in PacWest play.
Biola will host Senior Night against undefeated Fresno Pacific (22-0, 10-0) on Friday, Nov. 14th.
