HONOLULU — Hawai'i Pacific University returned home for the first time in over a month and swept Academy of Art 3-0 in PacWest Conference play at James Castle Gym on the St. Andrew's Priory campus.
 
The Sharks (9-7, 5-2) won their for the fifth time in their last seven matches with a 25-11, 25-21, 25-23 victory over the Urban Knights (5-12, 3-5). It was the first match at home after 10 straight matches on the road.
 
HPU trailed only three times in the short match, dominating the play. The Sharks hit .304 for the match, while ArtU hit only .125. Both team blocked well, recording nine team blocks each.
 
"I really liked the girls approach to the game when they came out of the box," said HPU coach Jenic Tumaneng. "I wish we would have finished a little bit stronger and more consistent, but it was a lesson learned."
 
Senior Pomai Recca, the 5-9 outside hitter from Waimanalo, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama, led Shark attack with 12 kills to go with a .241 hitting percentage, nine digs and three blocks.
 
Freshman rightside hitter Alison McCollum of LaCanada, Calif./Flintridge Sacred Hearts, added 11 kills with an amazing .714 hitting percentage and two blocks as well.
 
The Urban Knights were led by Ema Causevic with nine kills. Melissa Brum posted eight kills with a .261 hitting percentage.
 
The Sharks opened up the first set and never looked back with an 11-point run on the serve of freshman libero Amanda Acosta of Exeter, Calif./Extra Union.  HPU won that set 25-11.
 
In the second set, the Sharks never trailed, but the Urban Knights made it interesting, closing to 20-19 before a kill from McCollum followed by an assisted block by Recca and Alyson Brunner for a 3-point lead. The teams traded points and won the match on a service error by AAU's Alana Lucas.
 
The third set was the battle that saw ArtU overcome a 19-10 HPU lead to tie the set at 23-all thanks to a 13-4 run. The Sharks put an end to the Urban Knights hopes with a kill from junior Lea Felton of Sacramento, Calif./St. Francis and the match winning kill from Recca.
 
The match was the first of a nine-game homestand for the Sharks. HPU is on the hardwood in Castle Gym at St. Andrew's Priory on Thursday against Fresno Pacific. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.