SAN FRANCISCO – Battling NCAA Division III UC Santa Cruz inside Kezar Pavilion on Wednesday night, Academy of Art University volleyball gained momentum in a third-set comeback and went on to triumph 3-1 (25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 25-21). Freshman libero
Ashley Pawlak amassed the second-most digs in program single-match history with 36 as the Urban Knights continued to keep balls alive, turning them into points against the Banana Slugs.
After ART U got ahead 13-10 in the opening set, UCSC used a 6-0 run to gain its own advantage before a 5-2 push came with kills from freshman outside hitter
Kimiah Johnson and senior outside hitter
Bailey Soolsma. Knotted with the visitors at 23-23, Academy of Art managed two crucial put-aways by Soolsma and Johnson for the 25-23 victory.
The Banana Slugs jumped out to an 8-3 lead to start the second set and later used two separate 4-0 runs to create separation. ART U tried to shift the momentum with a kill and service ace from junior middle blocker
Safua Elisaia, but the margin was too great and a match-evening 25-14 result ensued.
There were six lead changes in the early portion of the third frame and, despite small bursts by UCSC, the Knights did their part to stay close. A major turning point came with Academy of Art down 20-16 as a 5-0 run highlighted by kills from Johnson and sophomore middle blocker
Jennifer Argelander suddenly gave the home team a lead. UC Santa Cruz threatened by going up 23-21, but back-to-back kills by Argelander helped give ART U the last four points for another 25-23 win.
A 12-4 surge bridged the third and fourth sets, but UCSC then came within a single point of the Knights on multiple occasions in what would be the final frame. Scoring five of six points with three kills from Soolsma midway through helped fight off a potential comeback by the Banana Slugs and, though Santa Cruz worked to be down by only two late, Argelander and Soolsma finished off the 25-21 set for the match victory.
Academy of Art improves to 3-8 overall this season after a trio of Knights registered double-digit kills. Soolsma and Johnson had 17 kills apiece (Johnson's second-highest total of her freshman season) while Argelander improved her career-high for the second straight match with 10 kills. Pawlak, who had previously totaled 30 digs this year, finished with 36, putting her behind only Kanoe Irvine's single-match record 38 digs from 2014. Sophomore setter
Lilika Teu and junior setter
Alana Lucas split the assists with 22 and 21 respectively.
UC Santa Cruz falls to 3-9 on the season despite Claire Okerlund's team-high 10 kills.
ART U resumes PacWest Conference play by hosting Fresno Pacific this Friday, Sept. 29 back inside Kezar Pavilion with first serve set for 5 p.m.
