IRVINE, Calif. – The Urban Knights seemed to come closer and closer to Concordia Irvine with each set, but the Eagles had the edge each time, winning 3-0 inside CU Arena. After a 25-18 opener, the teams were separated by just two points in the final pair of frames, 25-23 and 26-24.

Much like Wednesday night, Academy of Art was in a dogfight of a first set. No more than two points separated the teams until CUI went up 13-10 and, from there, ART U stayed within striking distance thanks to kills by junior outside hitter Melissa Brum, freshman middle blocker Safua Elisaia, and senior setter Rachael Smith. However, the Eagles won the final three points for a 25-18 win.

Consistently tied until 21-21, both teams had a second set victory in sight late. Back-to-back ART U attack errors put Concordia ahead and, though the Knights fought off two set points, a kill by Hannah Andrews put the Eagles up 2-0 after the 25-23 final.

A steady 8-2 Urban Knights run featuring kills by freshman outside hitter Stine Raben, Brum, and senior outside hitter Isabel Emrich rose the visitors to an 11-6 advantage. However, CUI did not allow any more of a margin responding with five of the next six points ART U eventually forced set point, up 24-23, but fortunes quickly changed as Concordia scored three consecutive points and took the set 26-24 along with the match.

Academy of Art drops to 6-11 overall and 2-7 in PacWest play. Raben's 12 kills ended up being a match-high while Brum added 10 putaways and nine digs. Smith finished with 28 assists.

The win makes Concordia 10-9 overall and 6-4 in conference. Rachel Flynn posted a team-high 11 kills, Logan Grove had 36 assists, and Taylor Dennison amassed 12 digs.

The Knights' current roadtrip concludes this Saturday in Utah with a matchup against Dixie State beginning at noon (11 a.m. PT).