GCU Falls Short Of Upsetting No. 16 Minn. State

Friday, September 2

Fairbanks, AK

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Minnesota State

Brooke Blomenkamp

9/2/2011 9:45:00 PM | Volleyball

By: Steve Heath

Box Score

Grand Canyon gave nationally-ranked Minnesota State all it could handle in Friday’s season-opener at the Patty Center in the 2011 Nanook Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.

GCU (0-1) lost 3-1 to No. 16 Minnesota State (2-0), dropping the contest by set scores of 18-25, 25-18, 25-21, 26-24.

The Antelopes had three set points in the fourth game, but were unable to force a fifth and deciding set.

Senior Brooke Blomenkamp had a team-high 12 kills. Sophomore Caelen Hiller, in her first match in over one and one-half years had nine kills and 11 digs. Junior libero Sara Bowden had a career-high 15 digs.

Senior middle hitterStephanie McBride had eight kills and five total blocks. Setter Kristen Preach had 34 assists and 11 digs. In her first collegiate match, freshman Mackenzie Phelps had 10 digs, two service aces and four kills.

Hoping to push to a fifth set, GCU came back from a 17-13 fourth-set deficit, scoring 11 of the next 15 points.

A Blomenkamp kill started the rally. Six straight were scored off Shelby Taylor serves, the first two on consecutive combo blocks from Blomenkamp and McBride. A Bowden kill made it 24-21, but the 2010 NCAA tournament qualifiers scored the final five points.

GCU put up quite a rally in the third set before falling. Down 7-0, it took a brief lead 14-13. McBride and Hiller each had three kills during the comeback.

In the first set, the Antelopes took the lead for good, 8-7, on a block from McBride and Preach. They wrapped up the match on a Phelps kill, her second of the set.

Grand Canyon plays twice Saturday. It takes on Dallas Baptist (1-0), a 3-0 winner over Alaska Fairbanks Friday, at noon and host Alaska Fairbanks (0-6) at 8 p.m.

Alaska Fairbanks will provide live streaming video and live stats from both contests. Links to both are available on the GCU women’s volleyball calendar and schedule page.