Nov. 1, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

TOP 25 HEAD-TO-HEAD
Six teams go head-to-head in the top-25 match up this Thursday and Saturday.  No. 13 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio)  and No. 24 Walsh (Ohio) will start things off on Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Physical Education Center in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Vanguard (Calif.), who is tied at No. 16 this week, will take on the top team, No. 1 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) on Saturday, Nov. 3rd.  In other match up on Saturday, No. 8 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) will face the host No. 5 Azusa Pacific (Calif.).

EAGLES STUN NO. 1 FRESNO PACIFIC
No. 4 Biola University used a strong, balanced attack and played its best all-around match of the year, handing No. 1 Fresno Pacific its first loss of the season in a 29-31, 30-19, 30-28, 28-30, 15-13 win Wednesday, Oct. 31st.

The Eagles improve to 25-5 and 12-5 in GSAC with their first win over Fresno Pacific since 1997-a span of 21 matches. Fresno Pacific, which had lost just seven games all season and none in its last 13 matches, falls to 25-1 overall and 15-1 in the GSAC. It was also just the fifth loss for the Sunbirds in GSAC play since 2001.

"Everyone really stepped up for us tonight," said Biola Head Coach Aaron Seltzer. "The team played very well and we didn't have many weaknesses out there. You can't beat the top team in the country without the whole team playing its best and that's what these ladies did tonight."

Junior outside hitter Meghan Warkentin led the Eagles with 23 kills with just three errors while fellow junior outside hitter Jessica Buffum added 19 kills, 13 digs and six blocks.

Biola's last win over Fresno Pacific came while most of the current players were in elementary school. On October 18, 1997, the Eagles pulled off a 3-1 win in Fresno to complete a season sweep over the Sunbirds.

REGION II AND III DOMINATING THE POLL
Seven teams from Region II and five from Region III have been ranked in the top-25 this week.  Top five spots went to the teams in region two.  Fresno Pacific, California Baptist, Concordia (Calif.), Biola and Azusa Pacific are ranked 1-5 respectively. No. 8 Point Loma Nazarene and No. 16-tied Vanguard are also from region two.  Teams from region three include, No. 9 National American, No. 10 Dickinson State, No. 11-tied Dordt, No. 15 Morningside and No. 18 Northwestern.

UNION VOLLEYBALL SETS PROGRAM MARK FOR WINS 
Union College broke the program record for wins with its 29th victory of the season Thursday, Oct. 25th, while freshman Monica Moreland set the single-season mark for assists as the Lady Bulldogs swept host Pikeville (Ky.) College.

The 29 victories surpass the previous mark of 28-18 which was set in 1993 - the program's second season in existence. Of the Lady Bulldogs' 29 wins, 17 have come by the way of 3-0 sweeps.

Moreland (Louisville, Ky.) recorded 45 assists Thursday to give her 1,454 helpers on the year, eclipsing the previous mark of 1,427 set by Amanda Bowling in 2006.

Playing in 138 games and all 38 matches this season, Moreland is averaging 10.5 assists per game. The 45-assist performance at Pikeville marked the 15th time she has had 40 or more assists in a match. Moreland recorded a season-high 59 assists in 3-1 win over Brescia (Ky.) University on Sept. 15.

Moreland also has 438 digs to her credit, averaging 3.2 per game. She has had 25 double-digit dig outings, including the last five matches in a row, and had a season-high 34 in a 3-1 win over Loyola (La.) University on Sept. 1.

LISA KLEIN BREAKS ST. FRANCIS SINGLE-SEASON KILLS RECORD
University of St. Francis senior outside hitter Lisa Klein (Spring Valley Hall H.S./Ladd, Ill.) broke the school's single-season kills record with her 683rd kill of the 2007 campaign during the second game of a four-game win over Mount Mercy (IA) Saturday afternoon in the NAIA Region VII Crossover Challenge held at Saint Xavier University in Chicago.

The record had stood for 18 years since it was established by two-time NAIA Player of the Year Ann Deen back in 1989.

Klein's performance on Saturday helped her land a spot on the Challenge's all-tournament team. She was also named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time in a 10-week period this season.

Klein is a three-time all-CCAC first-team selection and a two-time NAIA Region VII first-team pick. She currently leads the CCAC in total kills (694 entering Tuesday night's match at Robert Morris) and in kills per game (4.6). She ranks second nationally in total kills and 17th in kills per game.