5 Things to Know: Nov. 15-21

Each week, a loaded schedule for the 21 GCU Division I athletic squads may leave a Lopes fan missing out on some of the highlights! With that in mind, GCULopes.com will give you the best fast reads each Tuesday, quick hits of what's coming up soon and the top nuggets you may have missed.

1	RUSSELL'S REMARKABLE RETURN	Men's Basketball
	Since the return of starting point guard DeWayne Russell, the men's basketball team has a 2-0 record and claimed the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament Springfield Bracket Championship. Russell scored 53 points in his two games, accumulating 17 assists, shooting 56% from beyond the arc, and playing all but two minutes. His efforts earned him WAC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. The Lopes topped both Albany and Marist in Connecticut to even their season record at 2-2. (Keep reading: Albany Recap \| Marist Recap \| WAC Release)

2	VOLLEYBALL OUT ON TOP	Women's Volleyball
	The women's volleyball team sent its five seniors out in style with a three-set sweep of Benedictine at Mesa in Antelope Gym on Thursday night. Chloe Jenkins, Leigh Stonerook, Gracie Dimond, Sara Westerman and Emily Christensen were all honored prior to the game for their contributions to the program. Head coach Tim Nollan wrapped up his first season at the helm of the program, noting he was proud of the effort of the five seniors in their final match.(Keep reading: Game Recap)

3	HOOPS AT HOME	Basketball
	After a busy road schedule for both the men's and women's basketball teams, a large portion of the action shifts back to GCU Arena for the next six weeks. The men's team features nine of its next ten games on the floor at GCU Arena, including the likes of Louisville and San Diego State coming on Dec. 3 and Dec. 7. The women's team will host five of its next six games (after tonight's matchup at Rice) on the home floor. In all, between now and the end of the calendar year, the two basketball teams combine to host 15 games at GCU Arena. (Keep reading: Men's Schedule \| Women's Schedule)

4	SIGNING PERIOD CLOSES	General
	It was a busy week across all GCU sports as the early signing period concluded last Wednesday. Many of the sports officially announced new recruiting classes for the Class of 2017. (Keep reading: Baseball \| Beach Volleyball \| Cross Country \| Men's Golf \| Softball \| Women's Basketball)

5	MORE SWIM RECORDS FALL	Swimming & Diving
	The men's and women's swimming and diving teams had an outstanding showing at the Northwestern TYR Invitational in Evanston, Ill., with both teams finishing in third place overall. The Lopes concluded the weekend by breaking four GCU team records and two Northwestern pool records and collecting an impressive total of 14 individual NCAA "B" cut times. Head coach Steve Schaffer was happy with the results, but ready to shift the focus to continual improvement for the WAC Championships. (Keep reading: Day 1 \| Day 2 \| Day 3)

Players Mentioned

Joshua Braun

Emily Christensen

Gracie Dimond

Chloe Jenkins

DeWayne Russell

Leigh Stonerook

Sara Westerman

Grand Canyon University Athletics