Antelopes Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker

Thursday, October 25

San Diego, CA

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Point Loma

10/25/2012 10:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Rallying from eight points down in the fourth set, No. 21 Grand Canyon (19-5, 7-5) forced a fifth, but fell short in a 3-2 loss at Point Loma Nazarene (9-13, 5-7) at Golden Gymnasium in San Diego, Calif., Thursday.

The Antelopes lost by set scores of 25-18, 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 17-15.

GCU had match-point at 15-14, after coming back from a 14-11 deficit. Combo blocks by Shelby Taylor and Kristen Preach and Lanie Muys and Preach, cut it to 14-13. A Muys kill and Point Loma attack error made it 15-14, but the Sea Lions answered with the final three points.

In the fourth set, the Antelopes came back after being down 20-12. At 21-16, GCU scored five straight points. Janae Giles started the rally with a kill. Caelen Hiller followed with a service ace and kill. The match was tied after a Sea Lions’ ball-handling error and attack error.

GCU trailed again 23-21, but scored four straight with a Point Loma service error, Taylor kill and a pair of kills from Mackenzie Clark.

The teams combined for 217 digs, Point Loma had 114 to GCU’s 103. The Antelopes had six players with double-figure digs, led by Mackenzie Phelps with 27. Giles had 17 and Preach tallied 16. Sara Bowden notched 14, while Hiller and Hayleigh Friemoth had 13 and 10, respectively.

Hiller had a double-double, leading the Antelopes with 15 kills. Taylor had 10 kills. Muys had nine and Kaitlynn Ausmus and Friemoth each had eight. Entering late in the fourth set, Clark finished with four kills.

Preach had 51 assists and six kills. Taylor led in blocks with six. Muys and Preach each had four, while Friemoth and Hiller both had two.

PLNU 3, GCU 2