Match #17
ART U Urban Knights (5-11, 2-6 PacWest) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (4-14, 1-7 PacWest)
Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 3 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART HEADS TO FRESNO TO REMATCH SUNBIRDS
Following its six-match homestand which began with a sweep of Fresno Pacific, Academy of Art volleyball now comes full circle with its first road match since mid-September pitting the Urban Knights against the Sunbirds this weekend.

FIRST SERVE
ART U goes up against Fresno Pacific this Saturday, Oct. 16 on the road inside the Sunbirds' Special Events Center with first serve set for 3 p.m. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Ranking among the Pacific West Conference's top four in both kills (12.73) and assists (12.00) per set, Academy of Art has ridden the offensive catalysts that are junior outside hitter Isaura Santos, freshman outside hitter Ashley Mecham, freshman outside hitter Katherine Von Kraut, and junior setter Picabo Reinhold. The PacWest's top 10 in kills per set includes Santos (3.31) at sixth, Mecham (3.02) at ninth, and Von Kraut (2.89) at 10th. Reinhold checks in at second in the conference with 10.56 assists per set, having amassed 30 or more assists in each of her last four matches. Approaching Nicolette Hagan's 713 career digs (ninth in ART U history), Reinhold's 677 career digs also combine with her 77 career service aces (sixth in program history) and 2,390 career assists (third in program history). In terms of hitting percentage, ART U's top duo of junior middle blocker Jillian Wheaton (.309, eighth in PacWest) and senior middle blocker/opposite Sadie Emery (.288) now both boast over 480 career kills with Emery up to eighth in Academy of Art history at 601. Freshman libero Elena Torres finds herself ninth in the conference at 4.28 digs per set with double-digit dig totals in 14 of her first 15 collegiate matches played.

WHAT TO FRES-KNOW
Since its three-set sweep at the hands of the Urban Knights on Sept. 22, Fresno Pacific has gone 1-4 with its lone victory a 3-2 result hosting Hawaii Pacific. It has been 12 consecutive sets lost for the Sunbirds hosting UH Hilo, Chaminade, Azusa Pacific, and Point Loma most recently. One of just two teams averaging over 2.00 blocks per set in the PacWest, FPU's 2.11 rejections per frame have been a product of the contributions of top five ranked Makena Ogas (0.98) and Chloe Melis (0.95). Offensively, Corinne Acosta is third in the conference at 3.61 kills per set. Riding the momentum of its win last month, ART U looks to improve upon its historical matchup which favors the Sunbirds 16-3.

HOMESTAND ENDS WITH PLNU DEFEATING ACADEMY OF ART
Pacific West Conference volleyball action could be found inside Walter Gleason Gym for the second consecutive night and the result was a 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 26-24) win for Point Loma over Academy of Art on Oct. 8. Though the teams matched one another in kills, blocks, and assists, the Sea Lions managed a higher hitting percentage for the contest's difference.

LOOKING AHEAD
Another trip to Southern California is on the horizon for ART U with back-to-back nights challenging Biola (Oct. 21) and Concorda (Oct. 22) on tap.