GCU Gets First Road MIVA Win at IPFW

Friday, March 16

Fort Wayne, IN

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

13-9 (4-1)

IPFW

10-9 (2-3)

Grand Canyon

IPFW

Ben Hunt had six kills, a .417 hitting average and six digs in GCU's 3-0 win at IPFW Friday.

3/16/2012 6:42:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Grand Canyon won its first Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association road match in the program’s history and moved into a first-place tie in the MIVA with a 3-0 victory over IPFW at Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind., Friday.

GCU improved to 13-9 overall and 4-1 in the MIVA, tied with Lewis (16-4, 4-1). The Antelopes won by set scores of 25-18, 25-23, 26-24.

It was also the program's first win over IPFW in seven tries.

The two teams meet again Saturday at 4 p.m. (Arizona Time). Fans can follow the action with live stats and live video provided by the host school. Links to the live action will be available at www.GCULopes.com.

“This is the kind of victory we can enjoy for a couple of hours, and then we have to start thinking about getting ready for Saturday,” said GCU coach Jeremy Price.

Grand Canyon dominated the opening set, hitting a remarkable .684, with 13 kills and no errors on 19 attempts. With the score tied 5-5, Grand Canyon went on a 7-0 run behind the serving of Taylor Galliano. The first four points came on kills from four different players. Ben Ponnet, Ryan Mather, Jordon Tarantino and Ben Hunt all got into the act.

After a timeout, Hunt got another kill and Galliano followed with an ace. GCU remained in command the rest of the set.

“Even though we won the first set both nights (last week) against Ball State, I didn’t think we started out well,” said Price. “(Tonight at IPFW) we came out clicking. (Setter) Keith Smith really did a great job of running our offense.”

second and third sets showed the Antelopes poise.

GCU trailed 15-12 in the second and by as much as four points before coming back to tie it at 17-17 on a solo block from Hunt. The teams tied at each stop the rest of the way, until a Ponnet service ace – which followed a Ponnet kill – gave GCU a 24-23 lead. It ended on a Galliano kill.

In the third, GCU trailed by three, 21-18, before running off three straight points for a tie. Hunt had a kill and Ponnet and Mather combined on consecutive blocks.

Tied at 23-23, IPFW got to set point on a Ponnet attack error, but the ’Lopes responded again. It started with a Galliano kill and after an IPFW attack error, Tarantino and Galliano blocked IPFW’s big outside hitter Ivan Matos to end the match.

“We handled the end-game well,” said Price. “I was really impressed with our composure in the last two sets and how we responded when we were down.”

Tarantino finished with 10 kills (10-3-22) and a .318 attack average. Both Galliano (6-0-8, .750) and Hunt (6-1-12, .417) were efficient on the attack and Ponnet and Mather added nine and five kills, respectively.

GCU had 12 team blocks to IPFW’s seven. Mather had six block assists. Ponnet had four. Hunt, Smith and Galliano each had a solo block.

Smith had 32 assists to go with three block assists. He was one of four players to have six digs, joining Ponnet, Hunt and libero Trent Bruns. Tarantino had five digs.

Matos had a match-best 21 kills.

GCU 3, IPFW 0

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