SAN FRANCISCO – Back inside Kezar Pavilion for a Pacific West Conference rematch with UH Hilo, Academy of Art volleyball began to mount a comeback with a win in the third set, but the Vulcans went on one too many runs in the final frame to win 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22) despite sophomore outside hitter Paola Divis' season-high 16 kills.

ART U was firing on all cylinders early as the trio of junior right side/middle blocker Katherine Von Kraut, graduate student middle blocker Chandra Reed, Divis, and graduate student middle blocker/outside hitter Fina Tuinauvai each recorded kills in the team's first five points. Battling back from a five-point deficit at 13-8, the Urban Knights used an 8-2 surge to reclaim the lead ultimately on one of three service aces from senior setter/defensive specialist Nina Garcia in the contest. Four unanswered points thereafter helped the Vulcans go back ahead and, though Von Kraut continued to swing with success late, the set would end with UH Hilo on top 25-23.

Multiple kills by Divis enabled Academy of Art to build an 11-5 advantage out of the gate in the second frame. The margin was closed to one soon after, but sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia offered back-to-back strikes to extend the difference to four. After ART U was up 19-17 in the set, the Vulcans managed to secure eight of the final 10 points for a 25-21 final and a two-set lead.

A 12-12 tie in the third frame was broken up by a 5-1 run with multiple blocking combinations featuring Von Kraut and Academy of Art would never look back. Utilizing a 6-2 push in the late stages with senior setter Elly McInerney putting down two kills, the Knights stayed alive with a 25-20 win.

Facing sequences of 4-0 and 5-0 by UH Hilo, ART U repeatedly fought back to keep the fourth set close much of the way. A Reed kill was soon followed by her block alongside graduate student opposite Claire Ricard and another defensive stop by Ricard with Von Kraut as Academy of Art assumed a 17-16 advantage. However, the Vulcans' 6-1 response ended up putting them out of reach as the match concluded on a 25-22 score in the visitors' favor.

The Urban Knights, now 3-10 overall and 2-3 in PacWest action, had Divis combine her season-high 16 kills with 12 digs for her first double-double of the year while McInerney's 40 assists and 10 digs marked her second consecutive double-double and third on the season. Von Kraut added 11 kills and five blocks, sophomore libero LC-Reece Nakagawa's 20 digs pushed her current double-digit streak to eight matches, and freshman libero/defensive specialist Kyriah Trefren 14 digs matched her season high.

UH Hilo moves to 8-6 on the season and 3-1 in conference play after getting a match-high 18 kills from Taylor Tullo plus 10 from Chase Koepke.

Academy of Art will next conclude its season series with Hawaii Pacific, hosting the Sharks this Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. from Kezar Pavilion.