Lopes Fall In Five-Set Battle With Lions

Saturday, March 28

Antelope Gymnasium

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-12, 4-10

Lindenwood

10-8, 5-6

Lindenwood

Grand Canyon

Freshman Sky Engleman had 10 digs Saturday.

Photo by: Darryl Webb

3/28/2015 9:35:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

After eight ties and three lead changes in the final set, Grand Canyon lost a heart-breaking, five-set Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association battle with Lindenwood, 3-2, at Antelope Gymnasium Saturday.

The Lopes (12-12, 4-10), lost by set scores of 23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 16-14. Lindenwood improved to 10-8 and 5-6.

Grand Canyon had a 5-2 lead in the fifth and tied the set, 14-14, on a Gerrard Lipscombe kill, but the Lions answered with a kill and block to end the match. The Lopes had five service errors and four attack errors in the fifth set. GCU had 21 service errors for the match and eight aces. Lindenwood had nine aces and nine service errors.

"We didn't serve well in the last half of the match," said GCU coach Jeremy Price. "We had a chance (in the fifth). It was a set of runs and they got the last one."

Ryan Mather had a double-double with 19 kills and 13 digs. He added four service aces, three coming in the first set. Lipscombe had a match-best 22 kills, including seven in the first set. Sky Engleman added 10 digs. GCU out-blocked Lindenwood 18-8. Ashton King and Christian Ward were both part of eight blocks. They had one solo block each. Jon Schaefer had eight kills, eight digs and was part of six blocks. Setter Tanner Maxwell had 49 assists.

The match had 23 ties and eight lead changes. The Lopes hit for a better percentage, .254 to .200. The Lions had three more kills, 58-55, but nine more attack errors. LU had a sideout percentage of 60 to GCU's 57. The Lions led in digs 49-42.

Colin Hackworth led Lindenwood with 19 kills and five service aces.

The Lopes are on the road for their next four matches, all out of conference. GCU travels to Hope International on Wednesday and to Concordia-Irvine Thursday. Both matches start at 7 p.m.

LU 3, GCU 2