BELMONT, Calif. – Inside Walter Gleason Gym for the first time in 2022, Academy of Art volleyball would hang right with Point Loma late in multiple sets on Friday evening, but the Urban Knights' home opener and both teams' Pacific West Conference debut saw the Sea Lions take the contest by a final score of 3-0 (25-20, 25-6, 25-21).

Though PLNU found itself ahead 7-4 to start the match, the margin was quickly narrowed to one point after graduate student outside hitters Amalie Rupertova and Maya McClellan each connected for kills. A 9-2 run thereafter kept the visitors ahead, but a kill from senior middle blocker Jillian Wheaton then two more off McClellan's hand powered a 5-0 response late to bring ART U within four at 22-18. Points were traded in the final stages of what became a 25-20 win for Point Loma.

After Wheaton and freshman middle blocker/right side Kaia Fittz combined for their third block alongside one another to make the second set 8-5 favoring the Sea Lions, a 17-1 rally earned PLNU the 25-6 victory. Four different Knights recorded kills during the first five points scored in the third frame and soon Academy of Art would close an early gap to 13-12 with sophomore setter/defensive specialist Nina Garcia delivering two service aces. ART U answered an ensuing PLNU run with a 5-1 burst that included back-to-back Rupertova kills and the teams were knotted at 19-19 before one final push by the Sea Lions ended the evening by way of a 25-21 score.

Academy of Art moves to 1-9 overall and 0-1 in conference play with Friday's result. Rupertova racked up a team-high 12 kills on a .370 hitting percentage while McClellan contributed nine kills. Tandems of Knights made contributions in other areas as freshman setter Ainsley Robare had 13 assists while junior setter Elly McInerney added 11 assists. Wheaton and Fittz registered three block assists apiece and senior libero Isaura Santos finished with 10 digs, reaching double figures for the sixth time this season.

Point Loma, ascending to 6-3 on the year and 1-0 in its first PacWest action, had three Sea Lions register double-digit kills led by Abigail Nua's 16 putaways.

It will be a short turnaround for the Urban Knights as they host Concordia tomorrow at a new start time of 1 p.m. back inside Walter Gleason Gym.