GAME #19
ART U Urban Knights (8-10, 4-6 PacWest) vs. Holy Names (0-18, 0-9 PacWest)
October 17, 2013 at 7:00 PM
San Francisco, CA -- Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

GAME #20
ART U Urban Knights (7-8, 3-4 PacWest) vs. Dominican (4-14, 3-7 PacWest)
October 19, 2013 at 7:00 PM
San Francisco, CA -- Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats | Live Video

OPENING SERVE
The Knights played three games in three days against teams in the upper third of the conference, and came away with an important win at Azusa Pacific while falling to Point Loma and California Baptist, the top two teams in the PacWest. The Knights are still in the PacWest picture, as they are only a couple wins away from the .500 mark on the season and a top half finish.

HONORS ROLLING IN FOR KNIGHTS
After Melissa Brum was named Freshman of the Week last week, junior Lindsay Elgin made headlines again as the PacWest Defender of the Week. Elgin led the conference with1.50 rejections per set after totaling 21 in 14 sets. Elgin is still in second place in the conference in blocks per set behind Malika O'Brien of California Baptist, but the difference is only 0.08 blocks per set. Rachael Smith also made the Final 5 for the second week in a row, as she totaled 159 assists over four matches and led the PacWest in total assists for the week, while also ranking third for the week in assists per set (11.36).

HAWKS GROUNDED IN 2013
Holy Names has definitely regressed from their inaugural season in the PacWest last year when they finished 8-8 in conference play and 11-16 overall, as they are mired in a slump here in 2013. Rachel Vartanian is still impressing for the Hawks, totaling 187 kills and accounting for 3.12 kills per set after averaging 2.66 last season. Holy Names does have a new setter this year, as Alexandra Ramos is averaging 5.55 assists per set. Tatum Bales is averaging 4.88 digs per set, which ranks fourth in the conference.

ART U IMPROVING ALL AROUND
When comparing this year on paper to head coach Ed Jackson's first year in 2012, the Urban Knights have made significant improvements. Their eight wins already have matched last year's total with ten games still left on the schedule, while their hitting percentage is up over 40 points. They are attacking at a much higher volume, totaling their highest kills per set (12.53) since 2009 (12.57), and their assists per game are the highest in program history as well (11.99). The block game has also stepped up, as they have are putting up 2.12 blocks per set, second only to their 2.58 blocks per set in 2008.

THE WAIT IS LONG TO PLAY RIVAL PENGUINS
Academy of Art and Dominican are only a couple miles apart and have played each other 12 times in their history, the most in Urban Knights history, but have held off facing each other in 2013 for 18 games. Dominican is right behind ART U in the standings, but the Knights hold the edge in the all-time series 9-3. Hannah Stocking leads a very balanced attack that has three hitters averaging over 2.10 digs per set, as Stocking (154 K, 2.37 k/s) is followed by Amanda Wasko (143 K, 2.17 k/s) and Jessica Jones (141 K, 2.39 k/s) in total kills.

SETTING IT UP
After their quick homestand, the Urban Knights turn it around and head to Hawaii next week, facing Chaminade (Oct. 24), BYU-Hawaii (Oct. 25), and UH Hilo (Oct. 26) on another stretch of three games in three days.