DALLAS, Texas --- Biola Volleyball opened the 2026 season with a five-set battle against DBU, rallying from a two-set deficit before narrowly falling 3-2 (25-17, 26-24, 23-25, 19-25, 16-14) on Thursday morning at the Dallas Classic.
"It was a tough loss against a good team," stated head coach Brian Failinger. "I'm proud of the heart our team showed in battling back from their deficit. They showed they can play with good teams, and I know they will learn and grow from this match."
The Eagles pushed a DBU squad that received votes in the AVCA preseason poll to the limit, winning sets three and four to force a decisive fifth.
After dropping the opening set 25-17, Biola began to find its rhythm in the second. The Eagles worked their way back from a 17-14 deficit and eventually pulled ahead 24-23 on a Juliana Van Ommering kill. DBU responded with three-straight points to take the set 26-24 and build a 2-0 advantage.
Biola answered in the third. The Eagles erased an early 5-1 deficit and eventually took control, building a 20-14 lead behind their strongest offensive set of the match. BU recorded 17 kills with just two errors to hit .375, and Haylee LaFontaine closed out the 25-23 win with a kill.
The momentum carried into the fourth set. Biola overcame another early deficit and pulled away for a 25-19 victory, hitting .325 while holding DBU to an .081 hitting percentage to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
Biola jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth and held an 8-5 advantage before DBU battled back. The Patriots eventually moved ahead 13-11, but the Eagles continued to answer. A LaFontaine kill tied the set at 14-14 before DBU recorded the final two points to close out the match 16-14.
Van Ommering led Biola with 23 kills while hitting .259 and added 13 digs for a double-double. LaFontaine followed closely with 18 kills on a .298 hitting percentage and added four service aces. Savannah Simpson was efficient in the middle with 11 kills and just one error on 22 attacks, hitting .455.
Lexi Lambert directed the offense with 40 assists and 16 digs, while Hannah Hanson added 12 assists, five kills and 10 digs across four sets. Alex Strating led Biola at the net with one solo block and four block assists.
The Eagles held the advantage in several team categories, finishing with more kills (63-59), a higher hitting percentage (.233-.218) and more blocks (9-5). Biola also recorded 10 service aces in the match.
Biola moved to 0-1 on the season, while DBU improved to 1-0. The Eagles continue play at the Dallas Classic on Friday, Aug. 28, taking on Mississippi College at 7 a.m. PT.
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