GCU Wins Another Five-Setter, Capture Fifth Straight Win

Saturday, November 8

Antelope Gymnasium

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-9, 6-6

Bakersfield

11-14, 7-5

Bakersfield

Grand Canyon

Senior Shannon Dugan had her 13th double-double with 15 kills and 16 digs and added a career-best six block assists in a 3-2 win over Bakersfield Saturday.

Photo by: Darryl Webb

GCU Wins Another Five-Setter, Capture Fifth Straight Win

11/8/2014 4:16:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Grand Canyon won for the fifth straight time, the last four in five sets, with a back-and-forth 3-2 victory over Bakersfield at Antelope Gymnasium Saturday.

The Antelopes improved to 17-9 overall and 6-6 in the Western Athletic Conference. Bakersfield dropped to 11-14 and 7-5. With two matches remaining in WAC play, GCU is in sixth place, but only one game out of third. Bakersfield, Seattle U and Utah Valley are all 7-5. GCU plays host to Seattle U (Thursday) and Utah Valley (Saturday, Senior Day) next week.

Against the Roadrunners, the Antelopes dominated the first two sets with 25-17, 25-20 wins. Bakersfield did the same in the third and fourth with a pair of 25-17 victories. Down 12-9 in the fifth, GCU scored six of the final seven points for a 15-13 victory.

"They were down, but they still had confidence in the person next to them," said GCU coach Kris Naber. "These kids just went out and competed. They showed what's been done the last four weeks and how far they have come. They're a group of fighters."

The Lopes dominated the first set, hitting .520 as a team with 13 kills on 25 swings with no errors, but the 'Runners hit over .300 in the third and fourth set and had a 12-9 lead in the fifth. The Antelopes started their answer with a kill from reigning WAC Player of the Week Natalie Tardy. GCU received the benefit of Bakersfield mistakes, too. Of the six points scored, two were on attack errors and another came on a service error. At 13-13, Hannah Hicks and Megan Byrnes combined for a block. The match ended on a service ace from Mackenzie Phelps.

Senior outside hitter Shannon Dugan had a team-high 15 kills to go with 16 digs, upping her WAC-best double-double total to 14. She also had a career-high six block assists. Tardy, who leads the WAC in points per set (4.13), had 13 kills and nine digs. Frosh middle blocker Gracie Dimond had a career-high five kills and tied a career-best with eight block assists. Freshman defensive specialist Emily Vitel had a career-best four service aces.

GCU dominated the battle of the blocks and the service game. The Lopes out-blocked the 'Runners 12-7 and had nine service aces to CSUB's three. The Lopes had just four service errors to Bakersfield's 12. CSUB had more kills (63-48) and digs (75-60).

Phelps added a GCU-best 18 digs. Setter Michelle Steagall had 38 assists. Byrnes finished with nine kills and had five block assists. She hit over .300 for the third straight match with a .348 average on 23 attempts with only one error.

GCU welcomes Seattle U Thursday for a 6 p.m. match at Antelope Gym.

GCU 3, CSUB 2