GCU Gets 3-0 Win On Senior Night

Saturday, November 3

Antelope Gymnasium

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Academy of Art

GCU's 2012 five seniors include, from the left, Shelby Taylor, Sydney McDowell, Janae Giles, Kristen Preach and Sara Bowden.

Photo by: Darryl Webb

11/3/2012 8:39:00 PM | Volleyball

On Senior Night, Grand Canyon finished off its 2012 home season with a 3-0 victory over Academy of Art at Antelope Gymnasium Saturday.

Grand Canyon (22-5, 10-5) won by set scores of 25-18, 25-19, 25-16 and finished the home schedule with a 13-2 record. The 22 wins ties for the second most during coach Kris Naber’s 18-year tenure. The Antelopes were 22-7 last season and 22-9 in 1998. The most wins under Naber came in 1999 when the Antelopes went 25-7.

Prior to Saturday’s match, GCU honored its five seniors, Sydney McDowell, Janae Giles, Sara Bowden, Shelby Taylor and Kristen Preach.

“We celebrated them before the match and they didn’t disappoint,” said Naber.

Preach, second in the program’s history for assists, just missed a triple-double. She had 10 kills, 24 assists and nine digs. She also added four blocks, including one solo.

One shy of the 300-career block mark, Taylor had four on Saturday, becoming the sixth player in program history to do so, to go with a pair of kills. Giles had four digs and two assists playing in the back row. McDowell had three kills and two block assists. Bowden had seven digs and two assists.

“With our five seniors we have a lot of memories over the last six years,” said Naber. “It doesn’t matter whether they’ve been here one year (McDowell) or six years (Preach), each one adds something special to our team.”

GCU hit .231 for the match and helped hold Academy of Art to a .084 attack percentage. Kaitlynn Ausmus had a match-high 11 kills and .429 average (11-2-21). Hayleigh Friemoth had eight kills.

Junior middle blocker Kristen Johannsen had five blocks, including two solos to go with five kills and three service aces. Sophomore libero Mackenzie Phelps had a match-high 17 digs.

GCU out-blocked the Urban Knights 10-4, had more service aces, 5-2, and won the battle of kills, 39-32.

“We had great support from our crowd,” added Naber. “It’s a tribute to our girls and what they’ve done on the court representing GCU volleyball and the university.”

GCU is ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 3 in the West Region. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA tournament. The selection show for the NCAA Division II women’s volleyball tournament is Nov. 18.

GCU has one more regular-season contest remaining. The Antelopes wrap up the season Nov. 10 at Dixie State.

GCU 3, AAU 0