Box Score
Photo Gallery (images by Nicol Biesek & Matthew Schumacher)

San Francisco, CA -- In front of a big crowd in their final home game of 2013, the Academy of Art University volleyball team treated the audience to a thrilling 3–1 victory over Notre Dame de Namur University.  The Urban Knights showcased some gaudy offensive numbers, as Melissa Brum totaled 24 kills, sophomore Karly DaRosa hit .769, and ART U hit almost .300 as a team in the win. 

Academy of Art and Notre Dame battled in the first set, trading points and the lead back and forth. NDNU had a 17-15 advantage, but then the Knights got three points in a row to retake the lead and then four in a row to go up 23-20. After a sideout by the Argos, the Knights got a kill from their senior Caitlin Boring and then another from Brum to seal the set with a 25-21 win.

The second set was arguably the best set the Knights have put together all season. They hit .483 as a team, getting 16 kills and only making two errors. With Kabrina Speakman serving, the Knights got six straight points and took a 14-5 lead. Speakman was at the serving line again when the Knights got the lead up to 23-14, and with the game on the line at set point, setter Rachael Smith got in on the action and took a good pass, swatting it over the net and finding the floor to put the Knights up 2-0.

NDNU stole a set in the third, as the Knights actually came back from a 13-8 deficit to take the lead at 17-15. They were still up 20-18, but Dominique Tarrant had three kills in a 6-2 run to make it 24-20. Academy of Art got a kill from Emily Papale and another from Boring but couldn't put the Argos away as the third set went to Notre Dame 25-22.

But Brum and the Knights weren't going to let the Argonauts back into the game, as she picked up a kill to pull even at 1-1. Like the first set, the two teams see-sawed back and forth, with NDNU actually leading at one point 14-10. They kept that lead at 16-12, but ART U began their comeback. With the score 20-17, Smith had another key dump, followed up by an ace from Smith on the serve. After a timeout, an error by Callan Finney evened up the score at 20-20. After another tie at 22-22, the Knights got a kill from Boring and then back-to-back kills from Brum to seal the set and the match.

Saturday closed out the ART U home slate, but they still have two more games on the road. They'll travel to Fresno to face the Sunbirds again on November 13th before finishing the year against rival Dominican University on November 15th in San Rafael.