SAN FRANCISCO – Inside Kezar Pavilion for one final time this season, Academy of Art University volleyball honored its two seniors, outside hitter
Bailey Soolsma and middle blocker
Margaret Winkler, with a special pre-match ceremony in front of friends and family. The Urban Knights hung tough against Point Loma, but ended up falling 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-15) in Pacific West Conference action.
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In the opening set, PLNU made the first move to go up 9-6, but ART U responded by going on a 6-2 run sparked by a pair of kills from Soolsma. The Knights led briefly before a 6-2 push back by the Sea Lions once again put them in front. Redshirt junior middle blocker
Safua Elisaia's kill brought Academy to within two points at 21-19, but Point Loma closed out the 25-19 win with four consecutive points.
That momentum carried into the second set where PLNU went up 6-1 to start. The Knights would fight back with a Winkler kill and redshirt junior libero
Lyndsay Mlynar's service ace highlighting a 4-1 run to get Academy of Art within four at 14-10. However, two more 4-0 bursts by Point Loma secured a 25-15 victory in the end.
The Sea Lions worked their way to a 10-5 advantage to begin the third set and, although the future of ART U squad had its share kills (Elisaia, freshman middle blocker
Sadie Emery, and freshman outside hitter
Ashley Pawlak were among the notables), PLNU built enough a margin for the eventual sweep by way of another 25-15 score.
Academy of Art finishes the year 6-21 overall and 3-17 in PacWest play. On Friday, it was Elisaia who led the way with nine kills while Soolsma had her 12th double-digit dig effort of the season with 14 in her final match.
With its season finale coming up tomorrow at Dominican, Point Loma moves to 12-15 overall and 9-10 with the victory. Jamie Cymbaluk finished as the team's leader offensively with 13 kills.
For the ART U seniors, Soolsma finishes her career with 659 kills (fourth on the all-time list) while Winkler holds on to history as the lone Urban Knight with 300+ kills (306) and 300+ blocks (303) in her career.
