GCU Finishes First D-I Season With Win Over Incarnate Word

Saturday, November 23

Antelope Gymnasium

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-19

Incarnate Word

13-13

Incarnate Word

Grand Canyon

GCU seniors pose with family prior to 3-1 win over Incarnate Word.

GCU Finishes First D-I Season With Win Over Incarnate Word

11/23/2013 10:56:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Five Seniors Make Mark on VB History

Grand Canyon (12-19) wrapped up its initial season in NCAA Division I with a 3-1 victory over Incarnate Word (13-13) on Senior Night at Antelope Gymnasium Saturday.

In a 1-1 match and trailing in the third set, GCU finished strong with a 25-16, 20-25, 25-22, 25-15 victory.

For the fourth straight match, junior outside hitter Shannon Dugan collected a double-double. She had a match-best 19 kills to go with 12 digs and added four block assists.

The Antelopes honored its five seniors, Lanie Muys, Jessica Posse, Megan Davis, Kristen Johannsen and Kaitlynn Ausmus and all were essential in the team's final victory of the year.

Muys had 12 kills, hit .300 (12-3-30), added six blocks, including one solo. Posse had a double-double with 29 assists and 14 digs. Davis had a 13 digs. Johannsen contributed 10 kills and five block assists. Ausmus finished with eight kills and hit .333 (8-2-18).

"I think we've had so many obstacles in our first season at Division I, some we've overcome, others stopped us in our tracks," said GCU coach Kris Naber. "At the end, we accomplished a lot of our goals we set out to get. That's a tribute to the seniors and shows what we'll be expecting in the years to come.

"This group worked hard in practice and in matches . The girls never stopped wanting to get better all the way to the last point tonight."

GCU jumped out by hitting an amazing .514 in the first set. The Antelopes had 19 kills on 35 swings with only one error. That pace didn't continue and the Cardinals tied it after two. Trailing 18-13 in the third, GCU went on a five-point run, getting three blocks and two kills. It started with a kill from junior Hayleigh Friemoth. Muys and Dugan combined on the first of consecutive blocks. Muys and frosh Hannah Hankins had the second. A Hankins kill forced a Cardinal timeout and, after the break, the Antelopes tied the match on another block from Muys and Hankins.

Incarnate Word regained the lead 19-18, but the Antelopes went on a run again, scoring the next four. After a Cardinal attack error, Johannsen and Muys shared a block. It was followed by consecutive kills from Muys and Dugan.

Junior libero Mackenzie Phelps had a match-best 25 digs. She finished the year with 655, six short of the single-season school record of 661 she set in 2012.

"We knew tonight was it, win or lose," said Naber. "We had a great mentality in the third set and showed what this team is made of. We came out on fire, lost some steam (in the second set), then got down in the third. If you're not a competitor or battler, we may lose that third set. This group raised its level and out-worked the opponent. That's what we've stressed all year long."
There were two ties in the fourth, but no lead changes.

The senior class goes out being part of some of the most memorable moments in program history. Along with being part of the first NCAA Division I season, this group finished its Division II life with back-to-back NCAA tournament appearance – another GCU volleyball first.

"This is a special group," added Naber. "I told these girls before the match they'd made a mark on GCU volleyball on the court and in the classroom. The laid the foundation for our Division I program."

GCU 3, UIW 1