Match #20
ART U Urban Knights (7-12) vs. UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (12-13)
Friday, October 25, 2019 at 7 p.m.
Santa Cruz, Calif. – West Field House
Live Video

Match #21
ART U Urban Knights (7-12, 5-7 PWC) vs. Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (2-19, 1-11 PWC)
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 3 p.m.
San Francisco – Kezar Pavilion
Live Stats & Live Video

KNIGHTS VISIT SANTA CRUZ, RETURNS HOME FOR PACWEST REMATCH
Winners of three of their last four matches and past the halfway mark in Pacific West Conference play, Academy of Art volleyball goes up against NCAA Division III UC Santa Cruz this Friday before meeting Fresno Pacific on the Urban Knights' home court this Saturday.

FIRST SERVE
In its final non-conference match of the season, ART U will face UC Santa Cruz this Friday, Oct. 25 inside the Banana Slugs' West Field House at 7 p.m. The following afternoon, Saturday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m., Academy of Art returns to Kezar Pavilion to host Fresno Pacific. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
Now fourth in the PacWest in both digs (17.06) and service aces per set (1.59), Academy of Art finds itself still with three individuals who rank among the PacWest's top three in different statistical categories. Sophomore middle blocker Jillian Wheaton is second in hitting percentage at .383 (19th in NCAA Division II), sophomore setter Picabo Reinhold sits third in assists per set (9.32), and junior outside hitter Mariana Figueroa Ferriera comes in tied for the second-most service aces per set (0.38). Reinhold adds a team-best 13 double-doubles and delivered the two highest assist outputs of her career (63 and 57) in ART U's past three matches. Offensively, junior outside hitter Ashley Pawlak remains the team leader in points per set (3.17) and digs per set (3.52) while also tied for fourth in the conference in service aces per set (0.37). Owner of the second-most double-doubles on the squad in 2019 (eight), Pawlak has risen to fifth in career digs (902), sixth in career service aces (75), and seventh in career kills (579). 

SLUGGING IT OUT
Unlike the Urban Knights who have 11 matches left on their schedule, NCAA Division III UC Santa Cruz is reaching the end of its regular season. The Banana Slugs have gone 12-13 overall, 4-4 in the month of October, and are set to face Mills (Oct. 24) before hosting Academy of Art for Senior Night. For UCSC, who will start the American Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in November, Claire Okerlund's 3.31 kills per set and Cassie Nickel's 3.81 digs per set each lead the team. UC Santa Cruz and ART U have only met once previously in 2017 and the Knights prevailed 3-1 in San Francisco.

SUN TIMES
Fresno Pacific's Oct. 12 loss to Academy of Art was one of 11 straight defeats the Sunbirds' have sustained heading into this week. FPU, who pushed Chaminade to five sets in Hawaii on Oct. 17, is slated to host Holy Names this Friday, Oct. 25 before making the trip to San Francisco on Saturday. Ranking third in digs per set (17.42) just ahead of ART U, Fresno Pacific carries one of the conference's top 10 in digs per set with Sierra LeBeau (4.44). Additionally, Christina Tran paces the PacWest in service aces per set (0.39) and ranks ninth in assists per set (6.03). After falling to the Urban Knights earlier this month, the Sunbirds are now 14-1 all-time versus Academy of Art.

LOOKING AHEAD
Academy of Art closes out the month of October with a road contest at Holy Names on Oct. 30 before returning to Kezar Pavilion to host Dominican on Nov. 6.