Match #16

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ART U Urban Knights (8-7, 3-4 PWC) vs. California Baptist Lancers (8-6, 4-2 PWC)
Friday, October 10, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Riverside, CA – Van Dyne Gym
Live Stats & Video

Match #17
ART U Urban Knights (8-7, 3-4 PWC) vs. Point Loma Sea Lions (9-6, 6-1 PWC)
Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 5:00 PM
San Diego, CA – Golden Gymnasium
Live Stats & Video

ART U CLOSES SEVEN-MATCH HOMESTAND AT 3-4
Competing inside Kezar Pavilion for nearly a full month, Academy of Art exits its homestand with a 3-4 PacWest record and a chance to face some of the conference's top teams in the week ahead. The Urban Knights head south to Riverside and San Diego this Friday and Saturday, for matchups with California Baptist and Point Loma.

OPENING SERVE
ART U enters Van Dyne Gym on Friday, Oct. 10 for a PacWest rematch with California Baptist then the following evening, Oct. 11, Academy of Art faces Point Loma for the first time inside Golden Gymnasium in San Diego. Friday's contest is set to begin at 7:00 PM with Saturday set for 5:00 PM. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter & Instagram and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Currently leading the PacWest in digs per set (16.59) and top five in hitting percentage (.215), assists per set (11.69), kills per set (12.33), and service aces per set (1.52), Academy of Art has shown its variety of threats on both sides of the ball this year. Sophomore Melissa Brum went for a career-high 31 kills with 20 digs against UH Hilo last week, giving her 14 double-doubles through 15 matches thus far in 2014. She ranks fourth in the entire NCAA Division II in points per set (5.19) and fifth in kills per set (4.75) as well as 12th in total kills (252).

Setting new program records over the past week were junior Rachael Smith and senior Kanoe Irvine. Smith became ART U's new career assists leader after her fourth consecutive 40+ assist night against #4 BYU-Hawaii. She moved into first on the all-time list with 2,683 assists and still has her senior year coming in 2015. She currently leads the PacWest in assists per set (11.15) to make her 22nd in the country.

Irvine, who has now logged seven matches with 18+ digs, surpassed Dan Yang for the individual title now with 855 digs over her three-year career. Second in the PacWest in service aces per set and 56th in the country (0.47), Irvine came into 2014 as the Urban Knights' record holder in that category and now has 89 to date.

Sophomore Emily Papale has risen to ninth in the PacWest in digs per set (3.82) behind Irvine (4.18) and adds the second-most points per set on the squad (3.14). She has six double-doubles this year with a career-high 29 digs coming with 10 kills in the win over UH Hilo. Monday night against BYU-Hawaii, junior Isabel Emrich added her fifth double-double (12 kills, 15 digs) in her past nine matches.

ANOTHER LOOK AT THE LANCERS
Currently 8-6 overall, California Baptist had swept through its first four PacWest Conference opponents entering its Sept. 27 matchup with ART U. In a true battle, the Lancers and Knights went into the fifth set despite Academy of Art taking a 2-1 lead. ART U had just a little extra left in the tank as they rattled off a 5-1 run to ultimately win the fifth 15-10. Brum had 22 kills and Ulmer went for a career-high 16 kills in the Knights' first win of six meetings with CBU. Since that time, the Lancers took another tough road loss, falling to Point Loma 3-1. California Baptist still leads the PacWest with a .251 hitting percentage, helped primarily by Jessica Harris (.368) and Jenna Perry (.358). Lauren Hackett is the team's kills per set leader (3.67) and Jordyn Siko is one of four PacWest setters averaging double digits at 10.58.

ON POINT… LOMA'S TURF
Ranked first in the PacWest in assists per set and second in kills per set, Point Loma currently sits in third place in the conference standings despite having just a single loss in seven matches. At 9-6 overall, the Sea Lions started the year with a 3-1 loss to Metro State, but bounced back to win their next three pairings (two of which were against CCAA opponents). From there, PLNU lost four straight, battling tough competition like #10 Western Washington, #18 Northwest Nazarene, and #23 Central Washington. Entering PacWest play, Point Loma won six consecutive matches before taking a 3-1 loss to Dixie State most recently on Oct. 4. Heather Leavitt is the Sea Lions' top offensive threat at 4.13 kills per set and Savannah Wedemeyer has set her often as she averages 11.04 assists per set. To date against ART U, PLNU has won each of three pairings.

VOLLEYBALL SNAGS SET, BUT TOPPED BY #4 BYUH
Up against the #4 team in the country on Monday night, the Urban Knights played some of their best volleyball in the second set, but BYU-Hawaii wound up prevailing 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 25-17, 25-16). Junior  Rachael Smith set the new program career assists record in that second frame, helping a trio of her ART U teammates succeed as  Melissa Brum ,  Isabel Emrich , and  Emily Papale all registered double-doubles inside Kezar Pavilion.

LOOKING AHEAD
After the lengthy homestand, ART U will only play one home match at a time moving forward with Fresno Pacific in town on Oct. 15 for a 7:30 PM pairing. The Knights are then back on the road later in the week with Holy Names (Oct. 17) and Dixie State (Oct. 21) on tap.