Dixie State closed its season-long seven-match homestand on a high note Saturday afternoon as the Storm took down PacWest foe Academy of Art, 25-18, 25-11, 23-25, 25-22, at the DSU Student Activities Center. DSU won six of seven on the stand overall and with the win improved to 9-8, 6-3 in PacWest play, while the Urban Knights dropped to 6-12/2-8.

Dixie State never trailed in the first two sets in taking a 2-0 lead in the match. The Storm used a 15-6 run in the opening frame to turn a 6-5 lead into a 21-11 advantage en route to the seven-point set win. DSU kept the momentum going to start set two, jumping out to an 11-1 lead, including six-straight points scored on serves by freshman Taylor Duryea (Logan, Utah/Sky View HS), to race to a decisive 14-point win in the stanza.

The Storm looked as if they were poised for a sweep in the third set as DSU enjoyed 20-18 lead with service honors, but the Urban Knights had other ideas as AAU rallied to pull even at 22-22, and scored three of the final four points of the set to extend the match.

DSU started out quickly again in set four and jumped out to a 9-4 advantage. AAU battled back with a 10-5 spurt to erase the deficit and take a 14-13 lead. After a Dixie State timeout, the Storm responded by scoring four of the next five points to regain the lead at 18-15. Academy of Art got to within 18-17, but a kill by junior Delayne Daniel (American Fork, Utah/Pleaseant Grove HS), and consecutive defensive blocks from the tandems of Lindsay Jones (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) and Kailey Frei (Orem, Utah/Timpanogos HS), and Jones and Duryea, extended the Storm advantage to 21-17.

Again the Urban Knights would rally and pull even at 22-22, but this time Dixie State put an end to any thoughts of a deciding fifth set as Makenzi Bird-Murphey (St. George, Utah/Snow Canyon HS) registered two of her game-high 14 kills, both of which bookended a Duryea kill, to put the match away.

"That was good way to end our homestand and now we have to go on the road and win some games," DSU Head Coach Robyn Felder said. "I thought our offense looked really good today. That's what we've really been focusing on is our offense and our blocking and I thought those two things worked really well for us. We need to get better in our communication, our focus and keeping our heads in the game. Overall it was a good home stretch for us."

Dixie State enjoyed its best hitting performance of the homestand as the Storm hit .340 for the match. Daniel and sophomore Brette Anderson (Prescott, Ariz./Prescott HS) finished with 13 kills apiece, with Anderson hitting a career-best .706, while Bird-Murphey hit .542 en route to her 14 kills. Jones finished with a game-high seven total blocks to go with 11 kills and two digs, while Frei wound up with 53 assists (one off her career-high) and four total blocks. DSU held AAU to a .207 hitting percentage and finished with 10 total blocks.

Dixie State begins a five-match PacWest road swing to close out October, starting with three matches next week at Fresno Pacific Oct. 21, at Holy Names Oct. 23, and at Dominican on Oct. 24.