PacWest FOTW Release | PacWest Final 5 Release

Phoenix, AZ -- The Urban Knights volleyball team took three in a row last week and garnered some recognition from the conference, as Melissa Brum received the Freshman of the Week honor and setter Rachael Smith earned a spot on the PacWest Final Five as well. The Knights were 2-0 on the week and added another win on Monday night, led by Brum's 16 kills, after the award was announced.

Brum set a record for ART U freshman with 23 kills against Hawaii Pacific, and ranked fifth in the PacWest in scoring after producing 4.22 points per set. She totaled 38 points on 34 kills and eight block assists. In that game she posted her first 20-20 effort, totaling 21 digs as well, which gave her 38 for the week and 4.22 digs per set, good for ninth in the PacWest. The Stockton, CA native is leading the Urban Knights with 179 kills at a rate of 3.09 per set, and also has 146 total digs on the year.

Smith on the other hand has emerged even better this year than last, as she topped the PacWest in assists per set by averaging 12.56 during a 2-0 week, totaling 113 over nine sets against Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific. After Monday's performance, she now has three matches in a row with over 50 assists, including her ART U record-breaking 63-assist performance against HPU.

ART U will hit the road to Southern California, playing three matches in three days against Point Loma, Azusa Pacific, and California Baptist on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week.