Match #5
ART U Urban Knights (0-4) vs. Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks (3-1)
Thursday, September 1, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #6
ART U Urban Knights (0-4) vs. Cal State East Bay Pioneers (3-1)
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #7
ART U Urban Knights (0-4) vs. Sonoma State Seawolves (3-1)
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #8
ART U Urban Knights (0-4) vs. Chico State Wildcats (1-2)
Saturday, September 3, 2022 at 1 p.m.
San Rafael, Calif. – Conlan Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #9
ART U Urban Knights (0-4) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (3-1)
Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART FACES SEVERAL CCAA OPPONENTS IN UPCOMING STRETCH
Coming off its best match most recently, Academy of Art volleyball now enters the Seawolves/Penguins Classic where Northwest Nazarene plus three California Collegiate Athletics Association opponents await over three days and two venues. Two days after completing their second and final non-conference tournament, the Urban Knights will battle Stanislaus State on the road in their final tune-up before Pacific West Conference play kicks off.

FIRST SERVE
Set to begin in Rohnert Park at The Wolves' Den for the first two days of the Seawolves/Penguins Classic, ART U initially faces Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m. then both Cal State East Bay (10:30 a.m.) and co-host Sonoma State (7:30 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 2. As the tournament shifts to Dominican's Conlan Center in San Rafael, the Knights' opponent on Saturday, Sept. 3 will be Chico State at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, Sept. 6, Academy of Art has one more non-conference roadtrip to Stanislaus State inside Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena in Turlock at 5 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
Currently sixth in the PacWest standings in digs per set (14.07), Academy of Art has multiple Urban Knights among the conference leaders including sophomore right side Katherine Von Kraut who is sixth in kills per set (2.86) and seventh in hitting percentage (.346). Von Kraut erupted for a new career-highs of 19 kills and eight digs her last time out. Graduate student outside hitter Amalie Rupertova is one spot back of her teammate at seventh in 2.79 kills per set and comes off her first double-double of the year with 13 kills and 17 digs versus Cal State Dominguez Hills. Both Von Kraut (3.04) and Rupertova (3.00) join graduate student outside hitter Maya McClellan (3.00) inside the PacWest's top 10 in points per set. Junior setter Elly McInerney ranks fifth in assists per set (6.92) and senior libero Isaura Santos, who has nine or more digs in all four matches to date, checks in at seventh in the conference in digs per set (3.29).

INTO THE NIGHT
Picked by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference coaches to finish seventh in the conference this season, Northwest Nazarene has started the year 3-1 overall with sweeps of Rollins, Azusa Pacific, and Emory & Henry in its opening week hosting the NNU Tournament. At 4.93 kills per set, Olivia Wright leads the Nighthawks offensively and she is one of three on the team averaging 1.00 block per set along with Gabi Haws and Anna Gable. Thursday will be the first meeting of Academy of Art and Northwest Nazarene to date.

THE PIO BIO
Checking in at ninth in the CCAA Coaches Poll, Cal State East Bay is riding the momentum of three consecutive wins following a loss to Holy Names in the Green Chile Classic. The Pioneers, who will face Dominican in San Rafael on Thursday prior to ART U, have Mia Jordan (2.95 kills per set) and Lexi Pagani (2.74 kills per set) as the top scoring threats. It has been a close all-time series between Academy of Art and Cal State East Bay with the latter leading 3-2 in five previous matchups.

NAVIGATING THE WOLVES' DEN
A co-host for this weekend's tournament with Dominican, Sonoma State slots in at sixth in the CCAA Coaches Poll this season. The Seawolves picked up three wins up in the Western Washington Invitational to begin the year, topping Simon Fraser, Ferris State, and Regis while falling to No. 3 WWU and SSU will match up with Holy Names as well as Fresno Pacific prior to Friday's nightcap versus ART U. Four Sonoma State student-athletes are averaging more than 2.00 kills per set led by Brooklyn Jackson (2.71) while Kaden Young adds 4.40 digs per set defensively. After the Knights won last year's meeting, SSU is ahead 2-1 in the historical series.

HELLO CHICO
Sitting at 1-2 overall after facing three NAIA schools, Chico State looks to make its way toward improving upon its 10th spot in the CCAA Coaches Poll this week when the Wildcats take on four PacWest teams (Dominican and Holy Names prior to ART U). Grace Shepherd's 3.30 kills per set are the highest on Chico State's roster thus far while Lexi Carpenter has put up 4.50 digs per set. When Academy of Art defeated the Wildcats last season, it was their first win in five meetings.

POST-WEEKEND WARRIORS
Yet another team with a 3-1 overall record heading into this week, Stanislaus State found itself eighth in the CCAA Coaches Poll before sweeping UH Hilo, Western Oregon, and Hawaii Pacific in Honolulu to start the year. The Warriors' second tournament of the season will be the Toro Classic which features matchups with No. 25 Winona State, Western Colorado, and host Cal State Dominguez Hills all prior to facing Academy of Art. Among regular starters, Ellison Weaver (2.62 kills per set) and Macky Morris (2.50 kills per set) are the team leaders with other standouts including Gabby Rawson (5.00 digs per set) and Alex Byrd (1.54 blocks per set). ART U and Stanislaus State's all-time matchup currently sits at an even 3-3.

ACADEMY OF ART CLOSES OTTER INVITE BY NEARLY TOPPING TOROS
The Aug. 27 conclusion to the Otter Invitational saw Academy of Art volleyball come back after dropping a match to Cal Poly Pomona 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-18) to offer its best collective performance of the season, pushing Cal State Dominguez Hills to the limit in a 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 20-25, 16-25, 15-7) loss inside the Otter Sports Complex.

LOOKING AHEAD
With the non-conference portion of its schedule complete, ART U will begin PacWest play by hosting Point Loma (Sept. 9) and Concordia (Sept. 10) inside Walter Gleason Gym in Belmont.