GCU Drops MIVA Opener at Lindenwood

Friday, February 7

St. Charles, MO

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-4, 0-1MIVA

Lindenwood

7-2, 2-1MIVA

Grand Canyon

Lindenwood

Jared Morrison had a match-best 14 digs at Lindenwood Friday.

2/7/2014 9:00:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Teams Play Again Saturday

In its first Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association match of the season, Grand Canyon (5-4, 0-1) lost 3-0 to host Lindenwood (7-2, 2-1) at Robert F. Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo., Friday.

The teams play again Saturday at 6 p.m. (Arizona time). GCU lost by set scores of 25-19, 25-14, 30-28.

Lindenwood had just four hitting errors for the entire match and hit .456.

"We got beat by a better team tonight," said GCU coach Jeremy Price. "They played great. They out-played us in every facet. Give them a lot of credit.

"With the way our conference schedule is set up, we have to digest this and learn from it with a short turnaround and be ready for (Saturday's match)."

Grand Canyon was led by senior outside hitter Ben Ponnet with 12 kills and nine digs. Libero Jared Morrison had a match-best 14 digs. Off the bench and in only two sets, freshman setter Michael Milstein had 20 assists. Connor Dougherty hit .400 (5-1-10) and Erik Jansen had six kills in two sets.

GCU looked to force a fourth set, scoring seven straight points after trailing 20-14 in the third. A pair of Ponnet kills got the 7-0 run started. Milstein followed with a service ace. Four straight kills followed, two each from Ponnet and Jansen.

Consecutive kills from Gerrard Lipscombe and Jansen gave GCU a set point at 25-24, but the Antelopes were unable to get the ensuing point to force another set.

LW 3, GCU 0