Box Score
Fullerton, CA -- Playing their second of three games in three days, the Academy of Art University women's volleyball team notched an important victory over Azusa Pacific University on Friday night. The Knights won the first two sets before a late comeback by the Cougars, but got three players into double-digit kills. ART U held APU to a .160 hitting percentage on the night and were able to put them away 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 19-25, 25-20).
"Tonight's win was a true team effort," said head coach
Ed Jackson. "Everyone found ways to contribute. Our serving and passing were both great in the first two sets, and that allowed our middles to be effective."
The two teams were in nearby Fullerton instead of Azusa for tonight's match, and maybe it was the neutral ground that helped out the Urban Knights, who led early and often starting in the first set, when they went up 11-5 on three straight kills from
Emily Papale. The Cougars came back to actually take the lead at 14-13, and held on to the advantage as late as 18-16, but ART U tied it at 19 and didn't look back, getting kills from
Brittany Ulmer,
Caitlin Boring, and a block from Boring and
Lindsay Elgin to take the first set 25-21.
Academy of Art took another lead in the second set, jumping out to a 7-2 lead on a kill from
Rachael Smith. They had another five-point lead on a block from Ulmer and Papale to make it 12-7, and took it a step further to a six-point lead at 21-15 on another kill by Papale. Azusa cut the lead to four at 22-18, but the Knights got three straight points to win the set and go up 2-0.
Azusa bounced back in the third set, recovering from a 7-1 deficit to tie and then go ahead 13-9. The Urban Knights got as close at four points down the stretch multiple times, but the Cougars took the set and pushed it to a fourth game.
But with a comeback on the line, the Urban Knights battened down the hatches and dug in, taking another 7-3 lead in the fourth set. The Cougars kept close and attempted to pull even but the Knights were able to stay a step ahead the rest of the way, getting a kill from Papale to make it 24-19 and coaxing a service error at match point to take the set and the match.
Papale led the Knights and all other hitters with 15 kills, closely followed by Brum with 12 kills and 16 digs. Boring had 11 kills, while
Lindsay Elgin had nine kills on a .444 hitting percentage.
Rachael Smith added 46 assists, while
Kanoe Irvine notched 20 digs. Mattie Shelford had 10 kills to lead the Cougars.
"Rachael is becoming an effective floor general as the team's setter," said Jackson. "She did a great job tonight distributing the ball and finding the right match ups when we needed them. Lindsay once again proved she's one of the conference's premier blockers. And Emily is developing into a go-to hitter. She loves being in the position of being able to take the game winning attacks and she gained more confidence tonight."
The Knights will finish their three-game swing on Friday night against California Baptist in Riverside, CA.
