Match #22
ART U Urban Knights (3-18, 2-12 PacWest) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (8-13, 4-8 PacWest)
Friday, October 27, 2023 at 6 p.m.
Fresno, Calif. – Special Events Center
Live Stats | Live Video

WEEK'S LONE MATCH TAKES ART U TO FRESNO
Riding the momentum of a sweep of Concordia on Oct. 23, Academy of Art volleyball begins what will be five consecutive Pacific West Conference road matches with a trip to Fresno Pacific.

FIRST SERVE
This Friday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. inside the Special Events Center, the Urban Knights and Sunbirds will meet one month to the day following their Sept. 27 five-set battle in the Bay Area. 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
Up to fourth in the PacWest in service aces per set (1.74) with 19 in their last two contests, Academy of Art has returned to having the tandem of graduate student outside hitter/right side Maya McClellan (4.21, fourth) and graduate student outside hitter Amalie Rupertova (3.24, 10th) both inside the conference's top 10 in points per set as well as kills per set. The two have combined for 19 double-doubles (McClellan 11, Rupertova nine) and they remain two of ART U's six student-athletes to average over 3.00 kills per set in a career (McClellan 3.17, Rupertova 3.05). Rupertova has moved into a tie for seventh in the PacWest with 0.37 service aces per set and ninth in program history in career service aces per set (0.30). Junior setter Elly McInerney continues to hold onto the third spot in the PacWest at 5.92 assists per set. Two of the best defensive performances of the season (31 digs versus Azusa Pacific and 23 digs against Point Loma) have pushed freshman libero LC-Reece Nakagawa up to fifth in the conference in digs per set (3.92).

VALLEY OF THE SUN
Since their 3-2 victory over ART U at the end of September, Fresno Pacific won two more five-set matches versus Westmont and UH Hilo, but dropped seven of its last eight contests thereafter including all three in Hawaii in straight sets. Makena Ogas leads FPU with 2.51 kills per set while Geneva Elliott checks in at seventh in the PacWest in blocks per set (0.91). The Sunbirds lead the historical matchup with the Urban Knights 20-3.

ACADEMY OF ART SWEEPS CONCORDIA ON DIG PINK NIGHT
Consistent production from the beginning to the end of the Oct. 23 Pacific West Conference rematch with Concordia propelled Academy of Art volleyball to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-22) victory inside Kezar Pavilion. Seven service aces highlighted a dominant opening set as the Urban Knights delivered their second-highest hitting percentage (.250) of the season in the match that featured "Dig Pink" decorations in honor of breast cancer awareness.

LOOKING AHEAD
Staying local for one more week before heading to Hawaii, ART U next meets Dominican for the first time in 2023 on Nov. 4 in San Rafael.