SAN FRANCISCO – Less than 24 hours after pushing Biola to the limit, Academy of Art volleyball found itself going the distance hosting Westmont as the Urban Knights bounced back with wins in the third and fourth sets before the Warriors recaptured their early momentum to earn the victory 3-2 (25-18, 25-15, 20-25, 18-25, 15-9). Career-high kills came from both graduate student outside hitter/right side Maya McClellan (25) and freshman outside hitter/right side Crystal Creek (12) as four Knights finished with nine or more put-aways on Saturday afternoon inside Kezar Pavilion.

Taking a page from its historic blocking efforts the night prior, Creek and freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia rejected an early Warriors attack attempt while ART U built a 5-2 advantage. The visitors worked their way to an 11-8 lead before the action oscillated between both sides, knotting at 17-17. A timely 7-0 push by Westmont would allow them the 25-18 win and they used that momentum to go ahead 18-7 in the second frame. Kills by Garcia and McClellan kept the margin from reaching double digit though the Warriors were soon on top 25-15, leading by two sets.

Breaking away from a 12-12 deadlock in the third frame, Academy of Art used six of the next eight points, on kills by Creek, graduate student outside hitter Amalie Rupertova, McClellan, and graduate student middle blocker Chandra Reed, to shift in front 18-14. The Knights never relinquished that lead, winning 25-20 and closing the set on a 5-1 burst again highlighted by kills from many of the same hitters.

ART U led 11-5 in the fourth set on the strength of consecutive blocks by Reed and junior setter Elly McInerney before the latter assisted the former's kill. Though Westmont would come back to force a 15-15 tie, Academy of Art countered with five unanswered points including kills by McClellan and Creek. That difference held the rest of the way with the Knights standing tall 25-18 as the fifth frame became necessary.

McClellan and Reed sent down kills the early going as the scoreboard read 3-3, but the Warriors would then use a 8-3 run to threaten. The five-point gap was quickly shortened on kills by Creek and McClellan plus a service ace from Rupertova, but Westmont managed to claim the final three points for a 15-9 victory.

ART U, who moves to 1-11 overall and 0-5 in conference play, had McClellan better her previous career-high in an Academy of Art uniform by two kills with the 25 she recorded on Saturday, hitting .300 while adding nine digs. Creek posted 12 kills and Rupertova offered her second double-double in as many matches with 12 kills and 15 digs. Reed tied her season-best with nine kills, McInerney logged her fourth double-double by way of a season-high 44 assists and 12 digs, and freshman libero LC-Reece Nakagawa provided 17 digs to lead the Knights.

Westmont becomes 5-6 this season and 2-2 in PacWest action with the result which featured 15 kills by Nariah Prescott, 29 assists from Ella Hosfeld, and 18 digs by Kaili Hashimoto.

As the homestand rolls on for Academy of Art, Fresno Pacific will be next up on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m. inside Kezar Pavilion once again.