Fresno Pacific vs. Point Loma Nazarene, 6 pm (Pacific), 8 pm (Central)

After steamrolling through the pool-play round without dropping a set, Fresno Pacific prepares for a showdown against a familiar conference foe, with the stakes significantly higher this time around.

FPU defeated Point Loma Nazarene twice this season, each time in three sets, but the Sea Lions have come a long way since the last time the two teams met in October. PLNU is peaking at just the right time, having already upset three higher-ranked teams in the tournament, including previously undefeated Northwestern.

“Point Loma is hot right now and they're playing great, so we'll have to be ready,” said FPU head coach Dennis Janzen. “I think it's a testament to the GSAC to put four of the eight quarterfinalists in. At this point you absolutely have to respect any team that's still playing.”

It's no secret that the Sea Lions' gameplan revolves heavily around 6'2” junior outside hitter Tabitha Henken, the NAIA's leader in kills per set. Henken dominated the pool-play round with 72 kills in three matches.

The Sunbirds have been one of the only teams to consistently contain Henken, thanks in large part to the play of libero Mariah Mandelbaum. With Mandelbaum digging just about everything that came her way and FPU blockers keying on Henken, the Sunbirds held the Sea Lion star to only six kills with a .200 attack percentage the first time the teams met this season in Fresno. When the teams played a month later in San Diego, Henken took 48 swings and despite 15 kills finished with a .250 attack percentage.

FPU features a much more balanced attack, led by Martina Gregusova, Keke Wang and Lisa Shilling. In the two matches with PLNU this season, those three all averaged more than nine kills each. Gregusova was particularly tough to stop for the Sea Lions, averaging 12 kills and 11 digs in the two matches.

Unlike the previous round, the rest of the tournament is single elimination. It began this morning as the field was whittled down from 12 to 8 teams. Fellow GSAC schools Azusa Pacific and Concordia were eliminated, but as Janzen said, four teams from the conference remain.

FPU has won the last 18 meetings against PLNU, dating back to 2003.

Friday's Schedule & Results (Central times)

Single Elimination

#9 Lewis-Clark State def. #8 Azusa Pacific (28-30, 25-13, 25-19, 25-19)

#5 California Baptist def. College of Idaho (25-16, 25-20, 25-15)

#6 Point Loma Nazarene def. #11 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21)

#7 Biola def. #10 Concordia (25-19,25-15,17-25,17-25,15-9)

Quarterfinals (Central times)

5:45 p.m.: #1 Lee (Tenn.) def. #9 Lewis-Clark State (25-21, 24-26, 25-21, 25-14)

5:45 p.m.: #4 Columbia def. #5 California Baptist (23-25, 25-23, 26-28, 25-18, 15-10)

8 p.m.: #3 Fresno Pacific, Calif. (32-2) vs. #6 Point Loma Nazarene (22-12)

8 p.m.: #2 Texas-Brownsville (37-1) vs. #7 Biola (28-9)