Match #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Chico State Wildcats (0-0)
Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 3 p.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (0-0)
Friday, September 1, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #3
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Western Oregon Wolves (0-0)
Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 9 a.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #4
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Western New Mexico Mustangs (0-0)
Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
Live Stats | Live Video

In addition to returning some of the top hitters in the Pacific West Conference, Academy of Art volleyball enters its 2023 campaign with dynamic new talents and hungry determination fueled by new Head Coach Mike Gomez.

Ready to play a total of 27 regular season matches in 2023, ART U opens in the Stanislaus State Tournament with Chico State (Aug. 31), the host Warriors (Sept. 1), Western Oregon (Sept. 2), and Western New Mexico (Sept. 2) before concluding non-conference play with the Seawolves Volleyball Classic which features matchups against Cal State San Bernardino (Sept. 7), Cal State Monterey Bay (Sept. 7), and Cal State Dominguez Hills (Sept. 8). Road action continues with the start of PacWest play as the Knights travel to Southern California for contests versus Biola (Sept. 13), Azusa Pacific (Sept. 14), and Point Loma (Sept. 16).

When Academy of Art returns for its first homestand, there will be six consecutive games that take place inside Kezar Pavilion including a rematch with Biola (Sept. 22) followed by first meetings with Westmont (Sept. 23), Fresno Pacific (Sept. 27), Hawaii Pacific (Oct. 4), Chaminade (Oct. 5), and UH Hilo (Oct. 7). The second of two regular season trips south brings matchups at Concordia (Oct. 13) and Westmont (Oct. 14), then a shorter home series features APU (Oct. 20), PLNU (Oct. 21), and CUI (Oct. 23). The remainder of October sees ART U away from home as FPU (Oct. 27) starts five road matches with a first look at Dominican (Nov. 4) and a three-part Hawaii trip (UH Hilo on Nov. 9, CUH on Nov. 11, and HPU on Nov. 12) taking the Knights to their final regular season contest - Senior Day hosting DU on Nov. 18.

Already both among the top 10 in the program's career kills and points per set averages, the graduate student outside hitter tandem of Amalie Rupertova and Maya McClellan return for their swan song season at the collegiate level. The All-PacWest Second Team duo ranked sixth and seventh respectively in the PacWest in kills per set, accounting for more than seven of the team's 13.91 points per set last year. The new addition of middle blocker Chandra Reed makes it three grad students as the UT Permian Basin transfer comes off back-to-back campaigns leading the Falcons in blocks.

Also among the team's upperclassmen are returning setter Elly McInerney and setter/defensive specialist Nina Garcia who also both ranked inside the conference's top 10 in different statistical categories. McInerney's debut year with ART U saw her average 6.75 assists per set (fifth in PacWest) and amass the program's highest assist total outside of the four former Knights who surpassed the 1,000-assist threshold. Meanwhile, Garcia put up 0.39 service aces per set (seventh in PacWest) to put her second in program history at 0.36 career service aces per set. The tandem of McInerney and Garcia will be joined by a pair of junior transfers in setter Lina Ellilä and right side Sofia Stemberga.

Among the squad's sophomores and freshmen are familiar faces in middle blockers Kaia Fittz and Zoe Arnold while Elyse Day, a transfer from the University of Dallas, represents another transfer. Experiencing collegiate volleyball for the first time this year will be outside hitter Lola Martin, outside hitter/right side Crystal Creek, middle blocker Aliyah Spencer, middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia, and libero LC-Reece Nakagawa. A four-time AVCA Prep Phenom, Creek appeared on the 2022 AVCA All-American Watch List while Nakagawa previously ranked first in the state of Hawaii in service aces as well as third in digs.

Combining a unique blend of talented competitors, Academy of Art remains poised for success in 2023 as the Urban Knights toss their first serves this Thursday in Turlock.