BELMONT, Calif. – Pacific West Conference volleyball action could be found inside Walter Gleason Gym for the second consecutive night and Friday's result was a 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 26-24) win for Point Loma over Academy of Art. Though the teams matched one another in kills, blocks, and assists, the Sea Lions managed a higher hitting percentage for the contest's difference.

After freshman outside hitter Ashley Mecham's kill made it an 8-8 score in the first set, PLNU made an initial move with a 5-2 push, but repeated kills by freshman outside hitter Katherine Von Kraut helped ART U keep pace. Soon the Urban Knights were within a single point a 19-18, but despite Von Kraut's fifth through seventh putaways of the frame, the Sea Lions held on to win 25-22.

Von Kraut continued her momentum with back-to-back kills to start the second set only to be met by a 10-4 opening run from the visitors. Two consecutive kills from junior middle blocker Jillian Wheaton helped keep things close midway through, but Point Loma continued to use small bursts of points to secure the 25-14 victory.

ART U took command to begin the third frame with Wheaton and redshirt junior outside hitter Celena Davison dropping back-to-back kills for a 7-5 advantage out of the gate. Finding themselves tied 10 more times thereafter, the teams worked their way to a 20-20 deadlock. PLNU initially went up by two only to see the scoreboard once again knotted up at 24-24 following a 4-2 run that featured a kill from Knights' four offensive leaders by the night's end. Academy of Art unfortunately came away empty-handed, however, with the last two points going PLNU's way for the 26-24 final.

The Knights move to 5-11 overall and 2-6 in PacWest play with its six-part homestand now complete. Von Kraut's 14 kills came along with a .500 hitting percentage (tied for her second-highest clip of the season) while Wheaton also hit .500 for her six kills. Davison delivered seven kills, junior setter Picabo Reinhold finished with 30 assists plus 12 digs for her fifth double-double of 2021, Mecham collected 12 digs, and freshman libero Elena Torres amassed 15 digs to pace ART U.

Point Loma improves to 9-6 overall and 5-2 against conference opponents. Anna Massari's 14 kills led the Sea Lions while Courtney Dyer added a match-high 18 digs.

It will be over a week before the Urban Knights take the court for their next competition as a road rematch with Fresno Pacific awaits on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 3 p.m.