OAKLAND, Calif. – After a rollercoaster ride through four sets of action, ART U volleyball had three chances to win, but a resilient Holy Names team ended up coming back to take the victory 3-2 (25-22, 17-25, 17-25, 25-21, 19-17). The Urban Knights had multiple season-highs to go with a career-high of 14 kills from freshman middle blocker Safua Elisaia in the loss.

The first set inside Tobin Gymnasium on Halloween night was an even battle until the Hawks broke from a 17-17 tie, scoring five of the next seven points. Trading scores the rest of the way would give Holy Names a 25-22 advantage.

In the second set, it was 5-0 capped off by a rare triple block with senior setter Rachael Smith, sophomore middle blocker Amorelle Applin, and freshman outside hitter Stine Raben that created an initial separation. ART U expanded the lead with kills by junior outside hitter Melissa Brum, senior outside hitter Isabel Emrich, and Elisaia, winning convincingly 25-17 and evening the match.

It was more of the same in the third set with the six of the first seven points going to Academy of Art. Emrich and Elisaia swung in tandem and soon the Knights had built a 12-5 advantage. Holy Names threatened late, fighting back with a 5-0 run, but it was too late as three more points for ART U won them the set 25-17.

Neither side could gain much of a lead in the fourth set until a 6-1 push by the Hawks got them ahead 19-15. Emrich's pair of kills slowed HNU, however, Lihau Perreira ended up breaking through three more times to once again even the match with a 25-21 set win.

No more than two points separated the two teams at any time in the fifth set. Early on, Applin and Raben's kills kept ART U in the mix then Brum and Elisaia continued their strong play before the Knights' first set point came at 14-13. Holy Names fought that off and again Emrich's kill set up another chance which faded after an attack error. HNU served into the net to make it 16-15 Academy of Art, but once more the momentum swung to the Hawks thanks to a Perreira kill. That was the first of four points scored in the final five that gave the home team a 19-17 victory in the end.

Academy of Art is now 6-16 overall and 2-12 in conference play. Season-highs of 24 kills and 13 kills were posted by Brum and Emrich respectively while Elisaia achieved a career-high 14 kills. Smith had 63 assists for her own season-high to go with a career-high six blocks. Brum also had 17 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.

For Holy Names (3-19 overall, 1-12 PacWest), Perreira's 21 kills led the way. Kaylyn Lackey added 14 putaways and Lucee Fitzgerald finished with a match-high 19 digs.

The Urban Knights now start a four-match homestand with Chaminade (Nov. 5) and Hawaii Pacific (Nov. 7) in town next week.