GCU Picks Up 3-0 Victory at Art U

Tuesday, October 11

San Francisco, CA

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Academy of Art

Stephanie McBride

10/11/2011 8:56:00 PM | Volleyball

By: Steve Heath

Box Score

Grand Canyon improved to 2-0 on its northern California Pacific West Conference road trip with a 3-0 victory over Academy of Art at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco Tuesday.

GCU (10-6, 4-4) won by set scores of 25-20, 25-22, 25-14. Art U dropped to 5-12 and 2-5.

GCU beat Dominican in San Rafael, Calif. on Saturday. The ’Lopes take on the Penguins again Wednesday at 7 p.m. They wrap up the trip with matches Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (noon) against Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, Calif. Fans can follow all the action with links provided by the host schools. The links are available on the GCU women’s volleyball schedule page.

In Tuesday’s first set against the Urban Knights, the ’Lopes broke away from a 15-15 tie with five straight points, two came on service aces from senior middle hitter Stephanie McBride and two kills from junior outside hitter Janae Giles.

As a team, GCU hit .333 for the set, getting 16 kills on 36 tries with only four errors. McBride had five kills on 11 attempts. Junior middle hitter Shelby Taylor had three kills on four attempts and Giles had four kills on eight attempts.

Trailing 15-11 in the second set, Grand Canyon tied it at 15, getting two kills from McBride and a block from McBride and sophomore outside hitter Kaitlynn Ausmus. The Knights regained the lead, 18-15, but GCU followed with seven straight points, five coming on Academy of Art attack errors.

GCU had control for the majority of the third set.

McBride was 12-for-23 on attacks with no errors for a .522 average. Giles was 11-for-18 with two errors and hit .500. McBride added three service aces, one solo block and four block assists.

Taylor and senior right side hitter Brooke Blomenkamp had three block assists each. Junior setter Kristen Preachhad 30 assists. Freshman libero Mackenzie Phelps had 13 digs, sophomore right side hitter Megan Davis had 12 and Blomenkamp added 11.