Match #5
ART U Urban Knights (1-3) vs. No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes (4-0)
Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #6
ART U Urban Knights (1-3) vs. Cal State Monterey Bay Otters (1-3)
Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 7 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #7
ART U Urban Knights (1-3) vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros (2-2)
Thursday, September 8, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.
Rohnert Park, Calif. – The Wolves' Den
Live Stats | Live Video

COYOTES, OTTERS, TOROS AWAIT ACADEMY OF ART IN SECOND TOURNEY
In what will be its final non-conference matches prior to Pacific West Conference play, Academy of Art volleyball gets set to take on No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Monterey Bay, and Cal State Dominguez Hills over two days in the Seawolves Volleyball Classic hosted by Sonoma State.

FIRST SERVE
The Wolves' Den will be the site of all three matches ART U plays in SSU's Seawolves Volleyball Classic as Thursday, Sept. 7 begins with two contests, a 2:30 p.m. matchup with Cal State San Bernardino followed by the 7 p.m. nightcap against Cal State Monterey Bay. The Knights' action wraps up on Friday, Sept. 8 with Cal State Dominguez Hills at 2:30 p.m. once again. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Continuing to excel offensively and defensively as they did last season, graduate student outside hitters Amalie Rupertova and Maya McClellan each recorded three double-doubles in the team's first four matches. McClellan has debuted at sixth in the PacWest at 4.12 points per set with her team-best 3.47 kills per set average (seventh in PacWest) a big part of that. Rupertova, meanwhile, is not far behind at 2.76 kills and 3.18 digs per set. Also among the PacWest leaders, setter Elly McInerney checks in at fifth in the conference at 5.59 assists per set, having collected two double-doubles of her own thus far. Freshman libero LC-Reece Nakagawa registered no fewer than eight digs in her first four matches and ranks ninth in the PacWest in that category. Though her 2.6 attacks per set rank under the conference minimum, graduate student middle blocker Chandra Reed would atop the list with a .444 hitting percentage after sending down 22 kills with just two errors in 45 attempts in addition to leading the squad with 0.82 blocks per set.

COYOTES CLIMBING NATIONAL RANKS
Picked to finish third in the California Collegiate Athletics Association Preseason Poll, No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino has done nothing but win in 2023. The Coyotes topped three nationally ranked teams in No. 15 Western Washington (3-0), No. 18 Regis (3-1), and No. 3 MSU Denver (3-2) along with a Central Washington team (3-2) that was receiving votes all at home to conclude their first week of play. CCAA Player of the Week Trinity Sheridan has paced the team with 4.29 kills per set thus far while Marlee Nunley has added 7.35 assists per set, Shira Lahav has contributed 3.53 digs per set, and Taryn King has registered 1.00 blocks per set. Thursday will be the first meeting to date between ART U and CSUSB.

ON THE OTTERS
Also hosting its own season-opening tournament, Cal State Monterey Bay began with a 3-1 win over Dominican, but then fell to Minnesota State Mankato, Northwest Nazarene, and Westmont all by 3-2 final scores. Kaylie Honberger currently leads the Otters, who were picked to finish eighth in the CCAA Preseason Poll, with 3.06 kills per set while Ashley Vanderpan has often delivered to her teammate with 6.56 assists per set. Kaila Uota comes into the second week averaging 4.11 digs per set and Mikayla Nolte carries a 0.94 blocks per set mark to lead the team. CSUMB holds an 8-2 advantage versus Academy of Art historically.

TOWARD THE TOROS
Cal State Dominguez Hills, picked to finish 11th in the CCAA Preseason Poll, split its first four matches of the season, bettering Azusa Pacific and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs both 3-1, but falling to Concordia 3-1 and Wayne State 3-0 all in Irvine. The Toros, who face Westmont in the Seawolves Volleyball Classic prior to ART U, have looked to Ava Hurry as their offensive leader at 3.07 kills per set with Bailey Fuches (5.53 assists per set), Nina Robles (5.13 digs per set), and the tandem of Teagan Irish (1.60 blocks per set) plus Lauren Whyte (1.50 blocks per set) strong defensively. Having met just four times previously, it is CSUDH who is up 3-1 all-time against the Knights.

ACADEMY OF ART TOPS WNMU 3-1 AS SPLIT ENDS OPENING WEEK
Wrapping up the season's first week on a positive note, Academy of Art volleyball picked up a 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 26-24) victory over Western New Mexico after sustaining a 3-0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-20) loss at the hands of Western Oregon as part of the Stan State Tournament inside Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena on Sept. 2.

LOOKING AHEAD
Starting a stretch of what will be 20 conference matches to the end of the season, ART U opens PacWest play in Southern California up against Biola (Sept. 13), Azusa Pacific (Sept. 14), and Point Loma (Sept. 16).