GAME #21
ART U Urban Knights (9-11, 5-7 PacWest) vs. Chaminade (5-12, 2-10 PacWest)
October 24, 2013 at 10:00 PM PT
Honolulu, HI -- McCabe Gymnasium
Live Stats | Live Audio

GAME #22
ART U Urban Knights (9-11, 5-7 PacWest) vs. BYU-Hawaii (15-1, 10-1 PacWest)
October 25, 2013 at 10:30 PM PT
Laie, HI -- Cannon Activities Center
Live Stats | Live Video

GAME #23
ART U Urban Knights (9-11, 5-7 PacWest) vs. UH Hilo (6-10, 1-10 PacWest)
October 26, 2013 at 10:00 PM PT
Hilo, HI -- UH Hilo Gymnasium
Live Stats

OPENING SERVE
Academy of Art split their homestand last week against their local Bay Area foes, sweeping a match from Holy Names before falling in a see-sawing five-set match to Dominican. The Urban Knights have already surpassed their win total from last season, but are looking for much more with eight games left on the schedule.

CHAMINADE ON THE ROPES
The Silverswords have struggled in conference play but did notch a pair of wins in PacWest play before dropping their last five contests. The Urban Knights capitalized for their first conference win against the Swords back on October 2 behind a balanced effort that saw four players enter double figures on the attack. Kim Spring led the Swords on that day with 15 kills, but it took her 59 attempts to get there. Spring leads Chaminade on the season with 180 kills, averaging 3.16 per set, while Daniella Montoya (286 ast) and Valentin Bevilacqua (226 ast) are splitting the setting duties.

SMITH SETTING UP A STORM
Rachael Smith has made the PacWest Final 5 for three straight weeks as one of the better setters in the conference, currently ranking fourth in the PacWest in assists per set (10.65). That mark is also an ART U record, as no setter has ever averaged over 10 kills per set in Urban Knights history over the course of a whole season. She sits at just over that number for her career (10.03), which is also atop the historic list, and it poised to break her personal best in total assists on this roadtrip, as she notched 915 in 2012 and has 831 already with a good chunk of the season left to play.

SEASIDERS STAYING STRONG
BYU-Hawaii remains near the top of the standings, as they always have, with their one loss of the season coming earlier this year against Hawaii Pacific. The Seasiders were the only team to not make the trip when the Urban Knights hosted the Hawaiian contingent, and now ART U will travel into hostile territory to take on a team that has won eight in a row since their sole loss and is ranked fifth in the country. Ariel Hsu (.337) and Stella Chen (.334) rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in the conference in hitting percentage, while Chen leads the conference with 4.93 kills per set. Michelle Chen is leading the PacWest in assists (11.24/set), while the Seasiders as a team are atop the conference in kills (14.59/set).

ACES HIGH FOR ACADEMY OF ART
The Urban Knights have made some noise on the serve this season, ranking fourth in the conference with 1.55 aces per set. Kanoe Irvine has a chance at the all-time record, totaling 57 aces in her career, only five behind the all-time record of 62 set by Angela Heath, and also ranks seventh in the conference. Brittany Ulmer ranks right behind her in both respects, coming in eighth in the conference with 28 aces in 2013 and 55 in her career.

VULCANS GET IN THE VICTORY COLUMN
After winning five games to start the season, UH Hilo went on to lose nine straight games to start the PacWest season before getting their first win, a 3-2 victory over Azusa Pacific. The Urban Knights handed the Vulcans the eighth of their nine losses in a game highlighted by four players getting into double figures on the attack. Kanoe Irvine set a single-game record with 38 digs in that contest as well, while Marley Strand-Nicolaisen led the Vulcans with 17 kills. Strand-Nicolaisen leads the team with 214 total kills (3.45/set), while Sienna Davis has 477 assists.

SETTING IT UP
After the road trip, ART U will cross the Bay Bridge to play Holy Names on November 6 before their final homestand of the year against Fresno Pacific (Nov. 8) and Notre Dame de Namur (Nov. 9). The game against NDNU will be marked by the celebration of the Knights lone senior, Caitlin Boring.