BELMONT, Calif. – Academy of Art volleyball's second-highest kill total for a single set (16) propelled the Urban Knights to a victory at the start of Thursday's Pacific West Conference rematch with Holy Names, but the Hawks came back to eventually emerge with the 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-18) inside Walter Gleason Gym. Leading the team, freshmen outside hitters Ashley Mecham and Katherine Von Kraut each turned in 11 kills.

Playing some of its best volleyball of the season to start the match, ART U had pairs of kills from redshirt senior opposite Kiersten Kerch and Mecham plus a service ace from senior defensive specialist Michaela Charrette during a 6-0 opening run. The margin quickly grew to 13-3 as Von Kraut put away multiple kills, but a steady HNU comeback saw the visitors nearly even things back up with a 12-3 push. In the late stages of the set, the Hawks went ahead 22-21 before the Knights trio of Kerch, Von Kraut, and Mecham each delivered kills during a 4-1 surge to win the frame 25-23.

Holy Names bounced back with a 4-0 run to go up 9-3 in the second set and never looked back, utilizing five unanswered points to pull away late and even the match at one set apiece with a 25-17 result. After being tied with Academy of Art six times in the third set, the Hawks got ahead 10-7, then 14-9, and traded points with ART U the rest of the way to earn another 25-17 victory.

Though an early advantage on tandem offense from Mecham and Von Kraut was countered by an 8-3 rebuttal from HNU, four straight scores for the Knights had them only down one at 12-11. Winning seven of the next nine points once again gave Holy Names a margin and the Hawks would hold that the rest of the way for a 25-18 final set score.

Academy of Art, now 0-4 on the year both overall and in PacWest play, got a season-high 11 kills from Von Kraut plus 11 from Mecham for her fourth straight double-digit kill performance. Mecham added 16 digs for her second double-double of the season as well. In her first match of the year, Kerch posted eight kills while freshman setter Nina Garcia finished with her second-highest assist total (33) in 2021 and senior middle blocker/opposite Sadie Emery collected a season-high four blocks. Senior libero Ashley Pawlak's match-high 17 digs were a season-high and put her now 46 from the ART U career record.

Rising to 3-1 on the year and in conference, Holy Names was led by a match-high 13 kills from Lauren Sera in addition to 11 from Ayanna Barham and 10 for Sierra Allen.

Two road matches remain for ART U with an Apr. 7 contest at Fresno Pacific inside the Sunbirds' Special Events Center coming up first.