No. 15 GCU Opens Road Trip With 3-0 Win

Wednesday, September 19

Hilo, HI

10 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Hawai'i Hilo

9/19/2012 11:43:00 PM | Volleyball

Fifteenth-ranked Grand Canyon got back on the winning track with a 3-0 Pacific West Conference

victory at Hawai’i Hilo Wednesday.

GCU (11-1, 1-1) had its 24-match regular-season winning streak halted Saturday against Fresno Pacific, but quickly snapped its one-match losing skid with a 26-24, 25-19, 25-12 triumph over Hawai’i Hilo (1-8, 1-2).

Though it let four set points slip away in the first, the Antelopes hit .436 in the opener, getting 17 assists from senior setter Kristen Preach. GCU had 20 kills in the game, led by sophomore outside hitter Hayleigh Friemoth with six.

Friemoth (12-2-22, .455) finished with a team-high 12 kills. Senior outside hitter Janae Giles (11-2-25, .360) had 11 and junior middle blocker Kristen Johannsen (10-4-21, .286) had 10. Friemoth’s 12 kills tied for most by an Antelope in a three-set match this season.

GCU hit .336 for the contest, its second .300-plus match of the season. The Antelopes hit .380 in a win over Western New Mexico.

Hilo had 15 kills and hit .268 in the first, but only had 15 total kills in the next two sets and hit, .086 and -.023, respectively, in the final two to finish at .109.

"Our defense made some great adjustments throughout the match, both at the net and in the backcourt," said GCU coach Kris Naber. "Offensively, we controlled the match from start to finish. It was a great start to our Hawai'i trip."

The Antelopes finished with 11.5 blocks to the Vulcans three. Johannsen had seven block assists. Preach had one solo and five assists. She also finished with 39 assists, most in a three-set match this season. Sophomore libero Mackenzie Phelps had 21 digs.

It was the opener of Grand Canyon’s four-match PacWest trip to Hawai’i. The Antelopes take on Chaminade 10 p.m. (Arizona time) Saturday.

On Monday, the Antelopes take on 14th-ranked BYU-Hawai’i at 10:30 p.m.

GCU 3, UHH 0