SAN FRANCISCO – Continuing a Pacific West Conference homestand of near-victories, Academy of Art volleyball held a two-set advantage on Fresno Pacific, but the Sunbirds managed a comeback for the 3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 19-25, 25-20, 15-9) on Wednesday evening inside Kezar Pavilion. Highly competitive throughout each of the five sets, the contest saw three Urban Knights register double-digit kills and four others reach double figures in digs.

Neither side managed much of a lead in the opening set as brief runs were exchanged including four consecutive unanswered kills from ART U to go up 17-15. Though the frame was tied at 21-21 and again at 23-23 on sophomore defensive specialist Elyse Day's service ace, FPU claimed the last two points for the 25-23 victory.

A 4-0 start for the visitors in the second set soon saw momentum shift as the Knights rattled off six straight points, including multiple kills and blocks by graduate student outside hitter Amalie Rupertova (a triple block with junior setter Lina Ellilä and freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia among them), to gain a 12-10 advantage. The margin was extended further moments later with another 6-1 push capped by freshman outside hitter/right side Crystal Creek's kill and it helped ART U to the match-evening win 25-19.

The third frame was tightly played until 14-14 when Ellilä sent down her fourth kill of the evening then promptly teamed with graduate student middle blocker Chandra Reed on a block during a 7-2 burst. The separation held up the rest of the way and kills by Rupertova as well as freshman libero LC-Reece Nakagawa secured the 25-19 final.

Following a similar script, both sides held leads before an 11-11 deadlock from which Fresno Pacific built a 16-13 advantage. A solo block by Reed brought ART U to within one point at 17-16, but the Sunbirds countered with four straight. Reed was then involved in three consecutive scores during a 4-0 run, dropping two kills and adding a block, to again make it close at 21-20, however, another four points ended up forcing a fifth frame at 25-20 in favor of FPU.

Competing in a fifth set for the third straight match, Academy of Art held five separate one-point leads in the early going as Creek, Reed, and Rupertova continued to connect on kills. A 6-1 response by Fresno Pacific unfortunately propelled the Sunbirds ahead and three points would be as close as ART U would come the rest of the way toward a 15-9 conclusion.

The result puts ART U at 1-12 overall in 2023 and 0-6 in conference play despite a season-high 20 kills along with nine digs from Rupertova. Graduate student outside hitter/right side Maya McClellan logged her seventh double-double of the year with 13 kills and a career-high 23 digs while Reed's 12 kills (on a .556 hitting percentage) were a season-best coming alongside five blocks. Ellilä finished with her own season high of 43 assists, notching her first double-double with her top dig total (14) thus far. Nakagawa (13) and Day (10) made it four Knights with double-figure digs on the night.

With the win, Fresno Pacific moves to 5-6 on the year and 2-1 in PacWest action. Four Sunbirds totaled double-digit kills led by Makena Ogas' 16, Cambria Waites provided 31 assists, and Rachel Plantinga collected 19 digs.

It will be one week before Academy of Art resumes PacWest play with Hawaii Pacific the next opponent to enter Kezar Pavilion on Wednesday, Oct. 4 for a 5 p.m. first serve.