SAN FRANCISCO – Though a trio of Urban Knights combined for 29 kills, Academy of Art volleyball could not overcome Fresno Pacific in what was a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-14) final for the teams' second of three meetings this season on Tuesday evening inside Kezar Pavilion.
Four different competitors from ART U recorded kills in the team's dynamic start, but the Sunbirds countered with two scoring runs to build a 15-9 advantage. A 5-1 response with another diversified attack had the home side within two at 16-14 then sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter
Alohi Garcia sent down multiple kills during a 5-0 surge to give her squad a 19-18 lead. From up 21-20 on a kill by freshman outside hitter
Kerrigan Habing, Academy of Art unfortunately faced a 5-1 rebuttal that earned FPU the opening set 25-22.
Kills from sophomore outside hitter
Paola Divis, senior right side
Sofia Stemberga, and graduate student middle blocker/outside hitter
Fina Tuinauvai highlighted ART U's 8-5 start to the second frame before an 11-11 tie score soon followed. The duo of Divis and Stemberga continued to hit with success while the sides traded scores then, from a 20-20 deadlock, Fresno Pacific once again scored five of the final six points to secure the 25-21 result.
A 9-5 initial advantage for the visitors shrunk to a single point after Divis and Habing authored two kills apiece during a 5-2 comeback early in the third set. Momentum changed, however, with a 15-13 score becoming 25-14 in favor of FPU down the stretch.
Now 5-14 overall and 4-7 in conference play, Academy of Art was paced by 10 kills apiece from
Alohi Garcia and Habing while Divis added nine kills plus eight digs. Senior setter
Elly McInerney collected 19 assists and sophomore libero
LC-Reece Nakagawa provided 23 digs to lead all players.
With the win, Fresno Pacific rises to 11-8 on the year and 7-5 against PacWest opponents as Mia Gilcrest ended with a match-high 14 kills.
Set to play its seventh of eight home matches in the month of October, ART U hosts Jessup this Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. from Kezar Pavilion.
