LA MIRADA, Calif. – Academy of Art volleyball matched its season high of four block solos and dueled Biola throughout the final set, but the Eagles held on after claiming the first two frames on their way to a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-23) victory inside their own Chase Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.

Kills by three different Urban Knights, graduate student middle blocker Chandra Reed, graduate student outside hitter/right side Maya McClellan, and freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia, started the scoring for ART U, but from a 5-5 tie, BU proceeded to create a 15-9 advantage. Short runs would carry the Eagles to an eventual 25-16 win despite four kills apiece coming from McClellan and graduate student outside hitter Amalie Rupertova in the first set.

While Garcia put away two kills early in the second frame, Biola's subsequent 8-1 burst created separation. Academy of Art would soon work its way back to a two-point margin thanks to kills by Reed, junior setter Elly McInerney, Rupertova, and freshman outside hitter/right side Crystal Creek plus one of two solo blocks by Garcia in the contest, however, five unanswered points enabled the Eagles to win 25-20.

Neither side led by more than two points for nearly the entirety of the third set as 15 ties all came before a 21-18 difference favoring BU. Reed sent down a solo block and added a kill amid two more deadlocks forced by ART U in the set's latter stages yet from 23-23 an Eagles kill and Knights attack error sealed the 25-23 victory for the home team.

Despite out-blocking their opponent 6-5, Academy of Art dropped to 1-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play with the day's result. Rupertova paced the squad with 10 kills, McClellan followed with seven kills and seven digs, and Reed ended with six kills to just one attack error. While adding three blocks, McInerney's 22 assists pushed her streak of recording 20+ to five straight matches and freshman libero LC-Reece Nakagawa collected eight digs as well.

At home for the first time this season, Biola rises to 5-3 on the year and 1-0 in PacWest action after Dominique Kirton delivered 11 kills and Emily Smith added 10. Abby Brewster was one kill away from a double-double with her 20 assists and Bethany Bellfi amassed 10 digs.

ART U continues its Southern California PacWest road trip with a stop at Azusa Pacific tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. inside Felix Event Center.