OAKLAND, Calif. – Academy of Art University volleyball went out on a winning note Saturday, defeating Holy Names 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-21) inside Tobin Gymnasium. Combining the efforts of its veterans and young talent, the Urban Knights accomplished the come-from-behind victory with career-highs from senior libero Melissa Brum (24 digs) and sophomore outside hitter Hanna Kahn (16 kills).

A 6-1 Hawks run from 7-7 created separation in the opening set, but a kill by Kahn followed by a block combining junior middle blocker Margaret Winkler and freshman setter Lilika Teu closed the gap to two points at 18-16. Holy Names, however, then surged further ahead with seven of the next eight points and went on to win 25-21.

HNU's momentum carried into the second set where the home team started off 8-4, but a 9-0 push by Academy of Art midway through saw the Knights assume an 18-15 advantage after two aces from senior outside hitter Kabrina Speakman. Four ties ensued before a standoff at 23-23. Out of a HNU timeout, ART U made it four straight points including back-to-back blocks involving Winkler, Speakman, and Teu to take the set 25-23.

"So a big turning point for us in set two was that our hitters finally started to find the court," said head coach Ray Batalon. "In set one, our hitters I thought were trying too hard, got too tens, and were missing the court quite a bit. In set two, we were still struggling and found ourselves down 22-20, but we put a good run together with some big kills and a couple of stuff blocks to end the set."

Academy of Art commanded an 8-4 lead in the early part of the third set, but that gave way to numerous tie scores before a 7-2 push by the Knights from 13-13. Though ART U conceded two points thereafter, the visitors ended the set with five consecutive points including a pair of kills by Kahn and won 25-16.

From a 12-12 tie in the fourth set, Academy of Art rattled off three points beginning with freshman middle blocker Jennifer Argelander's kill and that margin would not be relinquished the rest of the way. It sparked a 5-1 run and steady production by the Knights eventually earned them the 25-21 set victory plus the match on back-to-back kills by junior middle blocker Bailey Soolsma and Kahn.

Holy Names concludes its season at 2-26 overall and 1-19 in PacWest action. Melissa Munley led the Hawks with nine kills.

Academy of Art finishes the year 8-21 overall and 6-14 in conference play. The team-high 16 kills from Kahn were a career-high, topping her previous mark of 12 set against Chaminade on Nov. 14. Soolsma finished with 11 kills, Teu had her ninth double-double with 49 assists and 18 digs, and Winkler totaled eight kills with a team-high four blocks.

"I think for the team, they really wanted to send the seniors off on a good note," said Batalon. "After finding themselves down in that first set and for much of the second, they rallied around one another. I'm really proud of how the team came together."

In the final matches of their respective four-year careers with ART U, Speakman and Brum both left it all out on the court. Speakman had her sixth double-double of the year in the form of 11 kills plus 14 digs while Brum went for a career-high 24 digs, besting the 22 she had against NDNU in 2014. Speakman became the third Urban Knight to amass more than 900 digs in her career (913) and Brum goes out the program's leader in career points (1,512.5), kills (1,353), and digs (1,152).