Completed Event: Volleyball at Fresno State on October 25, 2025 , Win , 3, to, 0
Volleyball
at Fresno State
W 3-0
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, September 27
Edinburg, TX
10 a.m.
Grand Canyon
11-5, 1-2WAC
2
at
3
Texas-Pan American
3-12, 1-1WAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Grand Canyon
24
25
25
16
13
2
Texas-Pan American
26
21
22
25
15
3
Freshman defensive specialist Emily Vitel had a career-best 21 kills in Saturday's match at UTPA.
Photo by: Darryl Webb
GCU Loses Hard-Fought Five-Setter at UTPA
9/27/2014 1:57:00 PM | Volleyball
In a hard-fought five-set Western Athletic Conference match, Grand Canyon lost 3-2 (26-24, 21-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-13) to host Texas-Pan American at UTPA Fieldhouse in Edinburg, Tex., Saturday.
There were 23 ties, including six in the fifth set, and 10 lead changes in the two-hour, 25-minute marathon. Shannon Dugan had a double-double with a team-high 15 kills and 13 digs. Mackenzie Phelps had a match-best 31 digs. Emily Vitel had a career-high 21 digs. Natalie Tardy had 12 kills and Megan Byrnes added 11.
Grand Canyon drops to 11-5 overall and 1-2 in the WAC.
After nine ties and six lead changes, UTPA (3-11, 1-1) was able to grab the opening set, but the Antelopes fought back to take the next two. Dugan had nine of her kills in two GCU wins. In the third, GCU battled back from an 11-3 deficit, finally tying the set at 19-19. The Lopes benefitted from nine Broncs errors during run. Dugan had three kills during the comeback. Byrnes and Tardy each had two. Tied at 22-22, GCU scored the final three points on UTPA mistakes.
With two Tardy kills and another from Hannah Hankins, GCU got out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, but the Broncs scored 17 of the next 23 to take a commanding 17-9 advantage. In the fifth, GCU fought off two set points at 14-11, getting a kill from Dugan and taking advantage of a bad Broncs' set, but a UTPA kill ended the match.
Dugan had three of GCU's five service aces, all came in the first set.
"We're a good team that didn't play very well today," said GCU coach Kris Naber. "We know we can play better than this. We're eager to get back in the gym and back to work on Monday. We'd like nothing better than to get back on track in front of our home fans at Antelope Gym Thursday for the WAC home opener against Kansas City."
GCU returns to Phoenix for its first home WAC match Thursday at Antelope Gymnasium against Kansas City at 6 p.m.
UTPA 3, GCU 2
There were 23 ties, including six in the fifth set, and 10 lead changes in the two-hour, 25-minute marathon. Shannon Dugan had a double-double with a team-high 15 kills and 13 digs. Mackenzie Phelps had a match-best 31 digs. Emily Vitel had a career-high 21 digs. Natalie Tardy had 12 kills and Megan Byrnes added 11.
Grand Canyon drops to 11-5 overall and 1-2 in the WAC.
After nine ties and six lead changes, UTPA (3-11, 1-1) was able to grab the opening set, but the Antelopes fought back to take the next two. Dugan had nine of her kills in two GCU wins. In the third, GCU battled back from an 11-3 deficit, finally tying the set at 19-19. The Lopes benefitted from nine Broncs errors during run. Dugan had three kills during the comeback. Byrnes and Tardy each had two. Tied at 22-22, GCU scored the final three points on UTPA mistakes.
With two Tardy kills and another from Hannah Hankins, GCU got out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, but the Broncs scored 17 of the next 23 to take a commanding 17-9 advantage. In the fifth, GCU fought off two set points at 14-11, getting a kill from Dugan and taking advantage of a bad Broncs' set, but a UTPA kill ended the match.
Dugan had three of GCU's five service aces, all came in the first set.
"We're a good team that didn't play very well today," said GCU coach Kris Naber. "We know we can play better than this. We're eager to get back in the gym and back to work on Monday. We'd like nothing better than to get back on track in front of our home fans at Antelope Gym Thursday for the WAC home opener against Kansas City."
GCU returns to Phoenix for its first home WAC match Thursday at Antelope Gymnasium against Kansas City at 6 p.m.
UTPA 3, GCU 2
Team Stats
GCU
UTPA
Kills
48
65
Errors
28
26
Attempts
187
188
Hitting %
.107
.207
Points
56.0
81.5
Assists
44
60
Aces
5
7
Blocks
3.0
9.5
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
3
Blocks
0
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
3
Aces
1
Blocks
0
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