(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Women's Volleyball bounced back from losing the first set to beat Biola 3-1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-15, 28-26) at home on Friday night and continue its unbeaten start to PacWest play.
Point Loma (9-3 overall) improved to 4-0 to start its PacWest schedule for the second-straight year.
"The message with these girls this year is that we're going to play bad volleyball sometimes," Head Coach
Jonathan Scott said. "That's part of the game and the other team is going to play good volleyball. The message was and continues to be is that we just have to get back to who we are and play Point Loma volleyball."
After losing the first set, in which Biola got out to a 12-3 start, the Sea Lions got back to who they are in dominating the second and third sets.
Point Loma then fought-off three set points in the fourth set to end Biola's three-match winning streak in the series that also included wins in six of the previous seven between the two teams.
"Especially since they beat us both times last year, it felt really good to get the win," Middle Blocker
Grace Hicks said. "Every single game we go into it with the mindset that 'It starts over right now. The past doesn't matter, it's right now that we're focused on.'"
PLNU appeared to be cruising on its way to a four-set victory, leading 8-2 in the fourth stanza, until Biola surged to take a 15-12 advantage.
Torina Hommes then began to dominate with her serve, which on three-straight points was errantly received and sent over the net on one for a Sea Lion attacker to slam home for a kill.
After Point Loma briefly took a 16-15 lead, the visitors quickly regained their advantage before the hosts went back ahead 23-22 off back-to-back Hommes kills. Two-straight Eagle kills then earned the first of three set points for Biola, only for PLNU to fight-off each one.
"For us on the court we look at each other in our huddles and say, 'We're not doing this again. Let's finish it now, right now,'" Hicks said. "It's not an individual thing. We're going to do it all together."
After an Eagle service error tied the set at 26-26, a Hicks kill and combined block with
Claire Smith ensured no fifth set would be needed.
"These girls are fighting hard and honestly it's just a reflection of their offseason, the spring and the summer," Scott said. "They worked their butts off and that's when it shows."
Abigail Nua (17 kills) led a trio of Sea Lions with double-digit kills, that also included Hommes (12 kills) and
Bailey Williams (10 kills). Hicks, Hommes (three aces) and
Lauren Phillips (39 assists) each tallied four blocks apiece, while
Courtney Dyer and Williams each posted double-digit digs with 14 and 12 respectively.
Point Loma will look to continue its overall five-match winning streak on Monday when the Sea Lions host Hawaii Pacific at 6 p.m.
"We're honestly just trying to get better every day in the gym," Scott said. "I truly believe if we can keep that daily focus of staying in the moment, that the record and the wins will take care of themselves."
