Match #22
ART U Urban Knights (5-16, 4-9 PacWest) vs. Biola Eagles (5-15, 3-9 PacWest)
Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 at 7 p.m.
La Mirada, Calif. – Chase Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

Match #23
ART U Urban Knights (5-16, 4-9 PacWest) vs. Westmont Warriors (10-9, 5-7 PacWest)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Montecito, Calif. – Murchison Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Video

ACADEMY OF ART TO MEET NEW PACWEST OPPONENTS ON ROAD
With its home-heavy month of October behind them, Academy of Art volleyball now turns its attention to the Pacific West Conference tandem of Biola and Westmont in Southern California this weekend.

FIRST SERVE
Down in Southern California for the first of two times this month, ART U opens a quick back-to-back with Biola on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. from Chase Gymnasium in La Mirada. The Urban Knights then turn around and face Westmont inside Murchison Gymnasium in Montecito on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 2 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
The Academy of Art offense is led by freshman outside hitter Kerrigan Habing (2.47), sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Alohi Garcia (2.30), and graduate student opposite Claire Ricard (2.15) who serve as the team's top three in kills per set. Now with 1,837 assists in her career (fourth in ART U history), senior setter Elly McInerney is putting up 7.49 assists per set (sixth in the conference) and has six double-doubles to her name. Sophomore libero LC-Reece Nakagawa has collected double-digit digs in 16 consecutive matches and currently ranks seventh in the PacWest in digs per set (4.04, eighth in ART U single-season history just behind her 4.05 average last season). The duo of Nakagawa (0.39 service aces per set, ninth in PacWest) and freshman libero/defensive specialist Kyriah Trefren have combined for 51 service aces while graduate student middle blocker/outside hitter Fina Tuinauvai paces the squad at 0.75 blocks per set with nine solos and 44 assisted thus far.

THE BIOLA BIO
After being swept in four straight matches, Biola secured its third PacWest victory most recently against Azusa Pacific on Oct. 25, putting them just behind Academy of Art in the conference standings. The Eagles, who are yet to compete outside of SoCal or Hawaii since mid-September, rank third in the conference in service aces per set (1.89). BU is led by Kendall Vandertuig's 3.26 kills per set (fifth in PacWest) and Bri Bellfi's 4.50 digs per set (third in PacWest). Through a history of 11 matches, Biola leads ART U 10-1.

WEEKEND WARRIORS
Though Westmont dropped its first three PacWest matches of the season, the Warriors have since alternated wins and losses until taking two of their last three (including a sweep of Biola) approaching a Nov. 1 matchup with Menlo. Westmont has hung its hat on its defense which averages the conference's second-most blocks per set (2.39) as the tandem of Taylor Distelberg (1.16) and Alexis Dennick (1.04) rank second and fifth respectively in the PacWest in rejections per set. Meeting for the first time just last year, WC is up 2-0 in the historical matchup with ART U.

VOLLEYBALL CELEBRATES 'DIG PINK' IN MATCHUP HOSTING MENLO
In the Pacific West Conference contest that featured Academy of Art volleyball's annual "Dig Pink" theme in honor of breast cancer awareness, it was Menlo who walked away with the 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-21) inside Kezar Pavilion on Oct. 26.

LOOKING AHEAD
Just one match is on the schedule for next week with ART U traveling to Jessup on Nov. 9.