Box score
FRESNO, Calif. – #1 Fresno Pacific (26-0, 17-0 GSAC) defeated #2 Biola (24-3, 14-3 GSAC) in four sets. The Sunbirds only dropped the third set, but returned in the fourth set firing, winning 25-16, 25-16, 22-25 and a decisive 25-12 in the fourth and final set.
Three Sunbirds had double-digit kills, #Thais Julio# led with 16, while #Keke Wang# and #Lisa Shilling# followed with 11 and 10, respectively. #Fabiana Leomil# contributed 9 kills, coming up big with 4 in the final set. Coach Dennis Janzen commented, “It is great to see such a balanced attack.”
Shu Liu had 38 assists and 9 digs, while Leomil led with 17 digs. The Sunbirds finished with 13 team blocks, two solo blocks coming from Wang.
The Sunbirds controlled most of the first set. Leading 10-5, the Sunbirds gave up a 4-0 run from the Eagles, but answered back with their own 4-0 run. The Sunbirds finished off the sun with a 5-1 run to win 25-16. The second set opened up after a 8-1 run from the Sunbirds to make it 12-6. The Sunbirds utilized their front row in the second set, putting up 6 blocks in the set. Fresno Pacific went on to win again 25-16 to go up 2-0.
The previous meeting between these two teams began similarly, the Eagles bounced back from a 0-2 start to take the match to a fifth set. Biola attempted to repeat there late run. Biola led as much as 8-16, but the Sunbird began to fight back. Fresno Pacific final 7-1 run was not enough to defeat the Eagles in three sets, but it did give the Sunbirds momentum to come out fired up for set four.
The Sunbirds opened with a 7-1 start over Biola. The Sunbirds walked away with the fourth set 25-12, hitting 0.500 with 13 kills on 24 attempts and only one error. The Sunbirds also put up another 5 blocks to shut down the Eagles. The Eagles finished the night hitting only 0.094.
Coach Janzen finished, “Right now is about positioning for the national tournament,” he continued, “this is the time of the season to play our best volleyball.”
Biola just moved into the number two slot this afternoon, making this the third time a second ranked team came to Fresno to challenge Fresno Pacific for the top spot in the NAIA, and this was the third time the Sunbirds won.
The Sunbirds will continue playing their season on Saturday, November 8 against Vanguard. The match will begin at 3:00 p.m.
