Match #1
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Chico State Wildcats (0-0)
Friday, September 6, 2024 at 9 a.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #2
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (0-0)
Friday, September 6, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #3
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (0-0)
Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #4
ART U Urban Knights (0-0) vs. Jessup Warriors (0-0)
Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 7 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

Composing the deepest roster in program history, the 20 Urban Knights representing Academy of Art volleyball step into a 2024 campaign, the second with Head Coach Mike Gomez at the helm, poised to collectively elevate both the program and one another in the journey ahead.

Beginning its 28-match 2024 regular season in the Sunbird Volleyball Classic with Chico State and host Fresno Pacific both on Sept. 6, ART U also faces Stanislaus State and Jessup both on Sept. 7 before moving on to Texas A&M-Kingsville and Western New Mexico (both Sept. 13) as well as host Western Oregon and Fort Lewis (Sept. 14) in the Mountaineer Volleyball Classic. Pacific West Conference play starts in Hawaii with the Knights taking on UH Hilo (Sept. 19) and Hawaii Pacific (Sept. 21) before they return to the Bay Area to challenge Dominican (Sept. 26) and commence a six-part homestand featuring Chaminade (Sept. 29), the Vulcans (Oct. 1), the Sharks (Oct. 5), Concordia (Oct. 9), new PacWest member Vanguard (Oct. 11), and Point Loma (Oct. 12).

The remainder of October includes a trip to another new conference member Menlo (Oct. 19), a home match with FPU (Oct. 22), a first meeting with the PacWest's addition of Jessup (Oct. 24), and an Oaks rematch on Oct. 26. Academy of Art faces Biola and Westmont over the first two days of November ahead of rematching Jessup (Nov. 9) plus Dominican (Nov. 13) on Senior Night and closing the regular season slate on the road at the Sunbirds (Nov. 16), Azusa Pacific (Nov. 22), and Vanguard (Nov. 23).

A trio of graduate students features returning middle blocker Chandra Reed with two new faces in middle blocker/outside hitter Fina Tuinauvai and opposite Claire Ricard from Cal State East Bay and University of St. Thomas respectively. Four familiar seniors also bring a wealth of experience as setters Elly McInerney and Lina Ellilä combine with setter/defensive specialist Nina Garcia and right side Sofia Semberga to guide the program in their respective final collegiate seasons on the court. Standing out in various program career categories, Reed comes off 27 starts last year ranked sixth in ART U history in blocks per set (0.76) and McInerney builds upon the third-most assists per set (5.80) in the PacWest and the fourth-most assists in Academy of Art history (1,268) all while pacing the program in career serve percentage (.970). Ellilä opens 2024 in ART U's 10th spot in career assists (346) and Nina Garcia holds the program's eighth position at 0.31 career service aces per set.

Back as juniors are defensive specialist Elyse Day, middle blocker Kaia Fittz, and right side/middle blocker Katherine Von Kraut along with two newcomers in opposite/defensive specialist Maggie Carroll and setter/defensive specialist Katelyn Onespot-Danforth. In action for Academy of Art most recently in 2022, Von Kraut put herself into Academy of Art's top 10 in career kills per set (2.62) while the duo of Carroll and Onespot-Danforth both bring strong pedigrees from dominant junior college programs at West Valley and Lower Colombia respectively.

The Knights' sophomores contingent features middle blocker Zoe Arnold, middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia, libero LC-Reece Nakagawa, and incoming outside hitter Paola Divis. Impressing in her debut season, Nakagawa ranked fourth in the PacWest in digs per set (4.05), third in ART U single-season history, and 32 service aces across 100 sets started her at sixth among the program's career service aces per set (0.32) category. A regular on the court alongside Nakagawa, Alohi Garcia logged the most kills among returners as well as the second-most starts within that group, playing in all 27 matches. Arnold averaged 1.17 blocks per set which, if she qualified, would have ranked third in the conference.

Prepared to begin their respective collegiate careers, the quartet of libero/defensive specialists Mireya Kawaguchi and Kyriah Trefren, outside hitter Kerrigan Habing, and right side/middle blocker Kendall Lee compose the Knights' freshman class. Among the contingent's high school accomplishments, Trefren contributed to three Costal Canyon league titles and 60 victories with indoor volleyball at Royal High School, earning All-League honors in each of her three seasons on varsity. Meanwhile, Lee averaged no fewer than 3.0 kills per set and hit .308 in her two years of varsity volleyball with Design Tech High School.

Academy of Art unites its balanced, versatile, and sizeable roster toward a 2024 debut in Fresno this week.