LA MIRADA --- Biola Volleyball picked up a key PacWest victory on Tuesday night, taking down No. 23 Concordia 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-22, 30-28) inside Chase Gymnasium.
Biola put together a balanced offensive performance, finishing with 57 kills on a .233 hitting percentage while holding Concordia to a .188 clip. Four Eagles reached double figures in kills, with Haylee LaFontaine and Hannah Guzzetti leading the way with 11 apiece.
The opening set went back and forth before Biola began to create separation late. With the score tied at 15, LaFontaine delivered back-to-back service aces before Guzzetti followed with a kill to put the Eagles ahead 18-15. BU went on to build a 23-16 advantage, and kills from Savannah Simpson and Madison Moore closed out the 25-18 win.
Biola carried an early advantage into the second and led 9-4 before Concordia worked its way back. The Eagles later reached set point at 24-23, but the Golden Eagles responded with three straight points to take the frame 26-24 and even the match.
The third remained tight until the closing stretch. With the score tied at 18, Biola used a 6-2 run to reach set point at 24-20. Concordia fought off two set points before Guzzetti delivered the final kill in a 25-22 victory that put the Eagles back in front 2-1.
The fourth turned into the battle of the night. Concordia held a 24-22 advantage and had five opportunities to force a deciding fifth set, but Biola answered each time. A LaFontaine kill and Lexi Lambert ace erased the first deficit before LaFontaine, Guzzetti and Payton Tully continued to answer as CUI repeatedly moved one point away from taking the set.
"I think the whole time, one of the big things we were focusing on was staying calm," said Tully. "I think we just had fun throughout the whole thing. In that last set, I was kind of just like, 'Lord, you got this,' and, 'Let's just go.'"
Tully eventually gave the Eagles their first match point with an ace at 28-27. Concordia tied it once more, but an attack error put Biola back in front before Simpson delivered the match-winning kill to finish the 30-28 set and the ranked victory.
LaFontaine finished with 11 kills, nine digs and three service aces, while Guzzetti added 11 kills on a .320 hitting percentage. Tully and Simpson each recorded 10 kills, while Moore added eight and Alex Strating finished with seven. Simpson and Strating also contributed three block assists apiece.
For LaFontaine, the win also reflected the depth the Eagles have relied on in recent weeks.
"I think this was honestly a really important and big win for us because we've had a lot of players go down within the last two, two-and-a-half weeks," said LaFontaine. "Just being able to win this game, even when maybe our whole starting lineup isn't in, says so much about everyone who's on the court contributing."
Lambert and Hannah Hanson split the setting duties with 21 assists apiece. Lambert added 12 digs, while Caprice Cooper anchored the back row with a team-high 15.
The Eagles improved to 15-4 overall and 10-2 in conference play with their third-straight win. Biola returns to Chase Gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 17 to host Westmont.
