OAKLAND, Calif. – Following a special pre-match Senior Day ceremony with friends and family, outside hitter
Kabrina Speakman and libero
Melissa Brum once again led by example in the Urban Knights' sweep of UH Hilo on Saturday. Academy of Art held off the Vulcans with crucial scores down the stretch in each set en route to the 3-0 win (27-25, 25-23, 26-24) inside Haas Pavilion on the campus of Mills College.
After a block by freshman setter
Lilika Teu and redshirt sophomore middle blocker
Safua Elisaia got ART U started, neither team held greater than a three-point lead in the opening set. UH Hilo went up 13-10, but a 7-1 response including six unanswered shifted Academy of Art in front 17-14. The lead changed hands three more times after that as the Vulcans fought off a 24-23 set point, the Knights did the same at 25-24 Hilo, and in the end, a 3-0 run featuring kills by Speakman and junior middle blocker
Margaret Winkler gave ART U the 27-25 victory to start.
The teams traded 5-0 runs early in the second set and though the Vulcans went ahead 18-15, a 20-20 tie appeared on the scoreboard moments later thanks to two kills by sophomore outside hitter
Hanna Kahn. The second of those ignited a 6-1 surge capped by two service aces by Brum and a chance at the set up 24-21. Though UH Hilo stayed alive for two points thereafter, Elisaia and Teu again combined on an emphatic final block for the 25-23 win.
Speakman and junior middle blocker
Bailey Soolsma worked in tandem to start the third set, helping Academy of Art go ahead 7-4. That margin was evaporated by a 5-0 push from the Vulcans and the teams returned to their see-saw game until Hilo gained a 23-21 advantage. Though the visitors would have a chance at two set points thereafter, ART U remained resilient and finished the match on a 6-1 run that featured kills by Soolsma, Teu, and Winkler. The end result was a 26-24 victory for the sweep.
Academy of Art improves to 7-19 overall and 5-12 in conference play with the victory. Speakman amassed the second-highest kill total of her career, going for 17 in total to go with 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the year. In just her second match as a libero, Brum ended with 17 digs to lead the team. Soolsma and Kahn rounded out a trio of attackers with double-digit kills, finishing with 13 and 10 respectively. Teu amassed 36 assists and redshirt sophomore defensive specialist
Lyndsay Mlynar posted 14 digs, her 19th time reaching double figures this season.
UH Hilo makes it three consecutive losses as their record moves to 9-14 overall and 7-11 in the PacWest. Marley Strand-Nicolaisen finished with team-highs of 14 kills and 12 digs.
The Urban Knights will have a quick turnaround as they host Chaminade back inside Kezar Pavilion this Monday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
