Match #15
ART U Urban Knights (5-9, 2-4 PacWest) vs. Azusa Pacific Cougars (10-4, 5-1 PacWest)
Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

Match #16
ART U Urban Knights (5-9, 2-4 PacWest) vs. Point Loma Sea Lions (8-6, 4-2 PacWest)
Friday, October 8, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

ART U HOSTS COUGARS, SEA LIONS ON BACK-TO-BACK EVENINGS
Matches five and six of Academy of Art volleyball's six-part homestand are on tap this week as Azusa Pacific and Point Loma, the two teams ART U opened Pacific West Conference play against in September, venture to the Bay Area for rematches with the Urban Knights.

FIRST SERVE
Up first on Thursday, Oct. 7, Academy of Art hosts Azusa Pacific inside Walter Gleason Gym in Belmont. The following day, Friday, Oct. 8, will see Point Loma take on ART U in the same location. Both matches are slated to begin at 6:30 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
Ranked fourth or higher in the PacWest in three offensive categories, ART U is third in both hitting percentage (.214) and assists per set (12.08) while fourth in kills per set (12.83). As has been the case throughout the season thus far, the dynamic trio of junior outside hitter Isaura Santos (3.44), freshman outside hitter Ashley Mecham (3.11), and freshman outside hitter Katherine Von Kraut (2.82) go six, eight, and 10 among the conference's kills per set leaders. Second and third on the team in digs per set, Mecham (3.02) and Santos (2.18) have eight and four double-doubles respectively to lead the Urban Knights while four have also been credited to junior setter Picabo Reinhold who checks in at second in the PacWest with 10.58 assists per set (22nd in NCAA Division II). In addition to now ranking 10th in ART U history with 657 career digs, Reinhold's 76 career service aces have her currently sixth in program history with Alana Lucas (79) and Lyndsay Mlynar (80) now within sight. For an Academy of Art squad that comes off its highest hitting percentage in six years (.324) in a win over Hawaii Pacific, senior middle blocker/opposite Sadie Emery (.312) and junior middle blocker Jillian Wheaton (.292) are still both among the PacWest's top 10 in hitting percentage. Achieving double-digit digs in 12 of 13 matches played to date, freshman libero Elena Torres checks in at ninth in the conference with a 4.21 digs per set average.

ZU PART TWO
Since its 3-1 win over ART U back on Sept. 17, Azusa Pacific has gone 4-1 with straight-set victories hosting Fresno Pacific, Holy Names, and Dominican. The 10-4 Cougars were swept by Concordia then bested Biola 3-2 on Oct. 1. For a team that received eight votes in the latest AVCA DII Coaches Top 25 poll, APU leads the PacWest in assists (12.52) and blocks (2.41) per set while ranking in the top three in hitting percentage (.223), kills (13.32), and digs (17.58) per set. The tandem of Katarina Radisic (3.62) and Annaka Jorgenson (3.61) are third and fourth among the conference's kills per set leaders while Kyra Palmbush (1.33) and Delaney Dunham (1.32) sit atop the PacWest's blocks per set category. Azusa Pacific has won its last seven meetings with Academy of Art and is 9-3 in the historical matchup.

SEEING THE SEA LIONS AGAIN
Much like their season has gone, Point Loma split four matches since its 3-1 victory hosting the Knights on Sept. 18. The Sea Lions defeated Dominican and Holy Names, but fell to Biola and Concordia during that most recent stretch. The team's kills leader is Torina Hommes (2.79 per set), but it is Anna Massari's .324 hitting percentage that ranks fifth in the conference while Courtney Dyer's name can be found fourth in all of NCAA DII at 6.38 digs per set. PLNU comes into this week's matchup leading ART U 13-1 historically.

STELLAR HITTING PROPELS VOLLEYBALL TO 3-1 WIN HOSTING HPU
With five Urban Knights over .300, Academy of Art volleyball posted its highest hitting percentage (.324) since October 31, 2015 en route to an exciting 3-1 (26-24, 25-14, 21-25, 25-14) victory over Hawaii Pacific. The Oct. 2 Pacific West Conference action inside Walter Gleason Gym was highlighted by junior outside hitter Isaura Santos' match-high 16 kills on a .452 clip while freshman middle blocker Janaya Delone slammed down six kills without an error for a .545 attack percentage.

LOOKING AHEAD
Set for its first road match in nearly a full month, ART U goes up against Fresno Pacific for the second time this season on Saturday, Oct. 16 in Fresno.