BELMONT, Calif. – Thursday evening's Pacific West Conference rematch between Academy of Art volleyball and Azusa Pacific saw the Urban Knights out-dig their opponents with their third-highest total of the season (70), but the visitors emerged victorious 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-17) on Thursday evening inside Walter Gleason Gym.

A pair of kills from senior middle blocker/opposite Sadie Emery and two service aces off the hand of junior outside hitter Isaura Santos quickly opened the match with ART U up 4-2. Though APU would come back to take a 17-11 lead, Santos' repeated kills kept her squad in the contest. Soon Academy of Art delivered two separate 4-0 runs, the first of which saw freshman outside hitter Katherine Von Kraut send down a kill then team with freshman middle blocker Janaya Delone for a block. As freshman libero Elena Torres connected for a pair of service aces in the second surge, the Knights found themselves only down three points at 23-20. An unfortunate end to the comeback followed as the Cougars captured the final two points for a 25-20 win.

Emery, Santos, and freshman outside hitter Ashley Mecham each swung for kills in a 6-3 start to the second set, but Azusa Pacific steadily came back and began trading points midway through. From a 15-15 tie, the visitors went up 22-16 and, despite back-to-back kills from Von Kraut late, they finished the frame on top 25-19.

The two sides jockeyed for position in the early part of set three before seven unanswered points by the Cougars shifted the momentum. Mecham did everything she could in response, recording two kills, a block, and a service ace during a 5-2 rebuttal, but two of the final six points went APU's way to end the set 25-17 and the match.

The day's results drop ART U to 5-10 on the season and 2-5 in conference action. For Academy of Art, Santos finished with a team-high nine kills and a season-best 17 digs while Mecham added eight kills and 12 digs. Junior setter Picabo Reinhold amassed 32 assists, Torres collected 14 digs, and senior defensive specialist Catharina Brant Bambirra also reached double figures with 12 digs of her own.

Now with 10 wins in their last 11 matches, the Cougars are 11-4 overall and 6-1 in PacWest play. APU was led by Katarina Radisic's 11 kills as well as Kyra Palmbush's eight kills plus five blocks.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Knights who host Point Loma tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. back inside Walter Gleason Gym.