box score | photos

SAN DIEGO – Point Loma Nazarene treated the fans in Golden Gymnasium to a thrilling 3-1 upset win over visiting Biola Tuesday night (17-25, 25-22, 34-32, 34-32). The No. 17-ranked Sea Lions improved to 15-8 overall, 7-8 GSAC and dropped No. 11 Biola to 20-12, 7-8.


The visiting Eagles claimed the opening stanza fairly easily, 25-17. A close set that was tied 12-12; Biola ran off four consecutive points and never looked back.

PLNU responded by taking the second set and evened the match. The Green and Gold was up from nearly the start, taking a four-point lead early and a seven-point lead late.

That's when things got interesting.

The Sea Lions and Eagles went into overtime in the third. Each team had their chances but it wasn't until a Tabitha Henken kill and a Biola attempt that went long that PLNU had the two-point margin needed to claim a 34-32 win.

Set four was more of the same. The Sea Lions had a comfortable five-point lead but the Eagles would not go away, pulling to 22-19. PLNU rolled off three of the next four points, however, and were serving for the match at 24-20.

Biola won the next four points, though, and what looked to be a sure PLNU win was suddenly a dog-fight. The two teams traded points – many of them on extended rallies. In all, the Eagles would fend off seven match points before Henken slammed down a pair of winners to give the Sea Lions the win.

Henken led Point Loma with 19 kills. The senior All-American now has 1918 kills for her career, which is just 27 away from Darci Hess and her PLNU record 1945 kills. Henken has an outside chance to tie or set a new school record on Saturday, the team's final regular season home match of the year against Hope International.

Two other Sea Lions reached into double-figure winners: Alyssa Dwyer with 12 and Delaney McCraney with 10. PLNU hit .142 to .138 from Biola. The Eagles had the advantages in digs (109-92) and assists (59-57). Each team registered 13 blocks.

Dwyer had six of those blocks for PLNU as did Destiny McIntyre. Aimee Bird, who had 44 assists, blocked four. Caitlin Bernardin had 19 digs to lead the Green and Gold; Henken had 17 and Bird 12.

Amy Weststeyn posted 16 winners for Biola. Christine Douglas followed with 15 with Nicolette Mather adding 14. 

PLNU's match with Hope International starts at 7:00 pm.