HILO, Hawaii – Drama seemed to build with every point Monday night as Academy of Art volleyball found itself consistently going back and forth with UH Hilo inside Vulcan Gymnasium. After tying no fewer than 10 times in each of the first three sets, the Urban Knights proceeded to finish off their highest kill (64) and assist (61) totals of the season, besting the Vulcans 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-11) to finish a three-part Hawaii roadtrip. Graduate student outside hitter Amalie Rupertova's 24 kills and 29 digs (both season-highs) led the way while graduate student outside hitter Maya McClellan added her own double-double with 20 kills and 16 digs.

"I'm really proud of these young women and the overall perseverance they've shown thus far," said Head Coach Breann Robinson. "We have an extremely small roster which means everyone has a crucial role on the court, and we're counting on each and every individual to step up and do their job for the team."

A see-saw matchup throughout much of the opening set included a grand total of 12 ties from 6-6 to 18-18 in which no team led by more than two points. From that late deadlock, ART U was powered by two kills apiece from Rupertova and sophomore right side Katherine Von Kraut during the 5-0 surge that ensued then it was multiple Vulcan miscues which resulted in set point which the Knights won 25-20 on a combined block from senior middle blocker Jillian Wheaton and McClellan.

Like the opening frame, the second saw six ties before Academy of Art gained a 10-7 advantage with Delone and Rupertova delivering kills assisted by junior setter Elly McInerney. UH Hilo would work its way back to a 16-16 contest then eventually separated from a 21-21 score with four of the final five points for a 25-22 win to even the match at one set apiece.

Each side held three-point leads before ART U broke from an 8-8 tie with a 5-0 run that featured Delone teaming with both freshman middle blocker/right side Kaia Fittz and McClellan for block assists before putting away a kill of her own. That margin held until the Vulcans fought to make it 17-17 then six more ties followed before a critical juncture at 23-23. After a service error by the home team, Rupertova punctuated the 25-23 victory with a service ace and the Knights moved in front 2-1.

Academy of Art's momentum carried into the fourth frame as the Knights held advantages of 3-0 then 14-11 with the second coming on a 5-0 surge highlighted by kills from Von Kraut sandwiching back-to-back Rupertova service aces. Seven straight by UH Hilo came shortly thereafter, but a 6-2 ART U response that included three Rupertova kills had the set yet again tied at 21-21. Though Rupertova put one more down before the frame's conclusion, the Vulcans managed to prevail 25-22, sending the match to a fifth set.

Continuing the evening's trend, neither side could get control of the final frame for very long with six ties eventually producing an 8-8 score. Academy of Art made its move at that juncture as powerful kills by Fittz then Rupertova started a 5-0 run which was fueled by two service aces from freshman setter Ainsley Robare. Following an emphatic block by Delone and Von Kraut put ART U ahead 13-9, the visitors were happy to trade points before McClellan hammered home the final point in a 15-11 victory to secure the match.

"We've been talking a lot about process - during practice, in the locker room, and even during matches," Robinson said. "Our focus hasn't been on the outcome but more on our approach and how we're executing the little things. We have something to learn from every match and every opponent and I believe a big key for us and our growth thus far has been making adjustments the very next time we step on the court."

Winning their second five-set match in three nights, the Urban Knights improve to 3-11 on the season and 2-3 in PacWest action. The fourth double-double of the year for Rupertova saw her hit .288 for 24 kills (tied for fifth-most in ART U history) with 29 digs (tied for fifth-most all-time in Academy of Art's five-set matches) and five service aces (all season-highs). McClellan turned in her fifth double-double of 2022 with 20 kills on the strength of her highest hitting percentage of the year (.326) plus 16 digs and a season-best four block assists. Von Kraut was next with nine kills while the tandem of Robare and McInerney had 28 and 26 assists respectively. Wheaton matched McCllelan's four block assists and senior libero Isaura Santos collected 14 of her 20 digs in the final two sets.

UH Hilo takes its third consecutive loss, dropping the Vulcans to 1-9 overall and 1-3 in conference play despite a match-high 26 kills from Nikki Logan.

When Academy of Art returns to California, PacWest play will continue on Saturday, Sept. 24 with a 2 p.m. matchup at Fresno Pacific.

"We have yet to unlock the true potential of this team but we are taking steps in that direction and we know the wins will continue if we keep putting in the work and trusting the process," Robinson said. "The last two matches were good wins for us, but there's still tons of room for us to improve and that's what we're most excited about."