GAME #18
ART U Urban Knights (5-12, 2-6 PWC) vs. Holy Names University (8-10, 6-2 PWC)
October 17, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Tobin Gymnasium-- Oakland, CA
Live Video

GAME #19
ART U Urban Knights (5-12, 2-6 PWC) vs. Dominican University (5-12, 3-6 PWC)
October 19, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Conlan Rec Center -- San Rafael, CA
Live Stats/Video | Live Audio

GAME #20
ART U Urban Knights (5-12, 2-6 PWC) vs. Notre Dame de Namur University (2-15, 0-9 PWC)
October 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Walter Gleason Gym -- Belmont, CA
Live Stats | Live Video

OPENING SERVE
The Urban Knights are coming off their seventh five-set match of the year, and this time were close to upsetting  No. 15-ranked Fresno Pacific University on their home court, forcing the Sunbirds to the brink and dishing out their first two set losses at home on the year. Lindsay Elgin led the way for the Knights, notching 13 kills and only one error, good for a .480 hitting percentage, while also adding eight total blocks. Taylor Suchy had 11 kills and 13 digs and Fresno native Rachael Smith had 39 assists and added five total blocks of her own.

HAWKS SOARING IN OPENING CAMPAIGN
The Holy Names volleyball team has come into the PacWest Conference with a mission, and in their first year in the program has shot to the upper crust of the standings. The high-flying Hawks are currently in fourth place, behind the three nationally-ranked teams in the conference.  The Hawks have won four of their last five, and are led by Katie Lopez, who recently topped the 200 kill mark on the year, with Rachel Vartanian right behind her with 181 kills on the year. The Urban Knights are looking for revenge after Holy Names spoiled their home opener back on Sep. 13, and will look to even up the season series.

PENGUINS COME DOWN TO EARTH
After shooting to the top of the PacWest standings in the early going with four wins to open the season, the Lady Penguins of Dominican University are in the midst of a six-game slide, most recently getting swept in back-to-back matches by Dixie State and Grand Canyon. The Penguins swept the Knights in that opening stretch, but the Knights got revenge with a 3-1 win back on Oct. 6 in a game led by Brittany Ulmer and Taylor Suchy. Friday's game will decide the season series, and the Knights will have to find a way to contain Hannah Stocking and Jessica Jones like they did in the last matchup.

ARGOS NAVIGATING ROUGH SEAS-ON
Notre Dame de Namur's season has not gone exactly according to plan, as the Argonauts are winless in the conference so far in 2012. They have a formidable pair of attackers in Brooke DeMiguel (148 kills) and Jennifer Jasper (151 kills), but their .100 hitting percentage as a team is ranked last in the PacWest. The Argos did get a win in the Route 72 Showdown, pulling off a five-set victory over Holy Names, but that was back on Sep. 8, and they have not won since then. This is the first matchup between the two teams this year, and the Knights hold a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, with the last match ending in an ART U victory on Senior Day last year.

SETTING IT UP
After a busy week, the Urban Knights will be at home to host two of the four Hawai'i schools in the conference. On Thursday, Oct. 25, they'll face off against Hawai'i Pacific University, while on Friday they host No. 8-ranked BYU-Hawai'i.