Match #11
ART U Urban Knights (3-7, 0-2 PacWest) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (3-9, 0-2 PacWest)
Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

Match #12
ART U Urban Knights (3-7, 0-2 PacWest) vs. No. 24 Chaminade Silverswords (11-3, 1-1 PacWest)
Monday, September 27, 2021 at 6:30 p.m.
Belmont, Calif. – Walter Gleason Gym
Live Stats & Live Video

SUNBIRDS, SILVERSWORDS FIRST TWO OPPONENTS ART U WILL HOST THIS FALL
After being on the road for its first 10 matches, Academy of Art volleyball will make its home debut this week as a six-part homestand begins with Fresno Pacific coming to Walter Gleason Gym followed by No. 24 Chaminade to start next week.

FIRST SERVE
This Wednesday, Sept. 22 will see Fresno Pacific hosted by ART U in Belmont at Walter Gleason Gym. Fans will not be permitted for this match. On the Monday that follows (Sept. 27), the Urban Knights get their first look at No. 24 Chaminade back on the campus of Notre Dame de Namur. Both matches are set to start at 6:30 p.m. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Still among the PacWest leaders in hitting percentage, Academy of Art is currently boasting a .215 clip (third in PacWest) while adding 11.75 assists (third in PacWest) and 12.65 kills per set (fifth in PacWest). Junior outside hitter Isaura Santos comes off back-to-back matches in which she posted 20 kills to lead ART U, putting her at 3.21 kills per set this season. Freshman outside hitter Ashley Mecham made it four consecutive matches with double-digit digs after her career-high 22 came against Point Loma. She now has six double-doubles this season and is averaging 3.07 kills and 3.17 digs per set. Freshman outside hitter Katherine Von Kraut completes the trio of leading Knights attackers with 3.07 kills per set of her own. Meanwhile, the team leader in hitting percentage is senior middle blocker/opposite Sadie Emery at .359 while junior setter Picabo Reinhold comes off a season-high 54-assist performance that upped her average to 10.69 assists per set. Freshman libero Elena Torres broke the 20-dig barrier for the first time as a collegiate against PLNU and is now up to 3.65 digs per set. the conference's top 10 at a team-best 3.46 digs per set.

HERE COMES THE SUN(BIRDS)
Following a similar trajectory as ART U, Fresno Pacific won its first two matches of the year then endured a rough seven-match losing streak before closing the SoCal Freeway Challenge with a sweep of Cal State Dominguez Hills. In the start to PacWest play, the Sunbirds were defeated at the hands of both Point Loma and Azusa Pacific. The Preseason PacWest Player of the Year Corinne Acosta leads FPU with 3.59 kills per set while Chantel Montayre adds a team-best 5.34 digs per set. In 18 previous meetings, Fresno Pacific holds a 16-2 all-time record versus Academy of Art.

DRAWING THE SWORDS
No. 24 Chaminade started its 2021 fall season with three or more wins in each of its first three tournaments including a four-match sweep of its own Hawaii Challenge earlier this month. The Silverswords split their first two PacWest contests, topping Hawaii Pacific before falling to UH Hilo. The offense is led by Brooklen Pe'a's 3.21 kills per set while Anna Dalla Vecchia offers a team-high 4.82 digs per set. Victories against Approaching just its second trip to the mainland this season, Chaminade leads its historic series against ART U 11-8.

ACADEMY OF ART DROPS FIVE-SET ROLLERCOASTER TO POINT LOMA
Academy of Art volleyball's second Pacific West Conference matchup in as many days saw the Urban Knights leading 2-1, but Point Loma rallied late for the victory 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 16-25, 25-17, 15-8) on Saturday afternoon inside Golden Gymnasium. Three Urban Knights posted double-digit kill totals led by another 20 put-aways from junior outside hitter Isaura Santos while freshman outside hitter Ashley Mecham recorded a 17-kill, 22-dig double-double.

LOOKING AHEAD
As the homestand continues, ART U will host UH Hilo from Holy Names' Tobin Gymnasium in Oakland on Sept. 29 then Hawaii Pacific back at Walter Gleason Gym in Belmont on Oct. 2.