TURLOCK, Calif. – Showing tremendous fortitude particularly from its three freshmen all in their first collegiate match, Academy of Art volleyball rallied against a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth frame and held multiple advantages in that decisive set before one final push enabled Chico State to capture the victory 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 15-25, 15-11) as part of the Stan State Tournament inside Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena on Thursday afternoon.

Four different Urban Knights scored kills to support an initial 9-5 lead in the opening set before five unanswered Wildcat points returned the match to a deadlock. A 6-2 push thereafter led Chico State to its eventual 25-22 win, but not before graduate student outside hitters Amalie Rupertova and Maya McClellan each dropped kills in one last 4-1 surge.

The two teams exchanged runs to begin the second frame with kills from freshman outside hitter Lola Martin and McClellan bookending an 8-1 rally by ART U. A Wildcats rebuttal enabled them to lead until kills off the hands of McClellan and sophomore middle blocker Kaia Fittz knotted the score at 20-20. Yet again, Chico State came out with the victory, however, doing so by way of a 25-23 final.

Coming back from an 8-6 deficit in the third set, Academy of Art's 7-2 burst was fueled by back-to-back service aces from junior setter Lina Ellilä plus a pair of kills from freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia. Though the Wildcats came within a single point thereafter, the Knights never relinquished their advantage as McClellan's kill and solo block were particularly key in the separating push then she combined with graduate student middle blocker Chandra Reed on a block and Rupertova finished off the 25-19 result.

From an 8-8 tie, the fourth set was dominated by ART U thanks to four straight scores and six consecutive soon after with freshman libero LC-Reece Nakagawa delivering two service aces along the way. McClellan's tandem of kills punctuated the 25-15 victory with Academy of Art's largest lead of the frame.

With a fifth set now necessary, kills by Reed, Rupertova, and Garcia had the Knights in front 6-3 to start, but Chico State would come back to briefly claim its own advantage at 7-6. Garcia's kill elevated Academy of Art to 9-8, however, the match was essentially won on the six straight Wildcat points that followed, sending them to a 15-11 triumph.

ART U drops to 0-1 to start the season despite a match-high 17 kills from McClellan which combined with 15 digs for one of three double-doubles on the team. Rupertova's 12 kills and 15 digs as well as junior setter Elly McInerney's match-high 27 assists plus 12 digs accounted for the other two double-doubles. Martin added nine kills, Garcia had seven kills, and Nakagawa added a team-high 18 digs and four service aces all in their respective collegiate debuts.

Chico State, now 1-0 on the year, was paced by 14 kills from Zoe DiNardo, 26 assists from Brooke Ono, and 19 digs from Lexi Carpenter.

The Urban Knights' second day of the Stan State Tournament sees them challenge the host Warriors at 11:30 a.m. back inside Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena.