Hornets top Lopes in Sacramento

Saturday, September 17

Sacramento, Calif.

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-7

Sacramento State

6-7

Grand Canyon

Sacramento State

9/17/2016 2:05:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Mark Oshidari

SACRAMENTO – The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team was close but could not finish as Sacramento State defeated GCU 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 in the first of two matches on Saturday for the Lopes.

GCU was either tied or led at the midway point of each set, but the Hornets prevailed with late runs to hold off the Lopes in three.

Katrice Pond and Natalie Tardy had 11 kills apiece to pace GCU. Randahl Powers added four kills and five digs.

GCU got some production out of the middles with Hannah Hicks (four kills) and Maria Adams (four kills) tallying a combined 8-0-13 (.615).

Heidi Carpenter just missed a double-double with 28 assists and nine digs.

In the first set, the Hornets scored the first three points of the match. Trailing 9-5, GCU scored five of the next seven points to pull within 11-10. The Lopes pulled even for the first time at 13-13 after a CSUS attack error. Tied at 14-14, CSUS scored three straight to lead and force GCU to call timeout. Pond hit consecutive kills to pull GCU within 19-18. The Hornets scored the final five points of the set to claim the 25-19 win.

After being down early in set two, Maria Adams recorded a kill, followed by a Pond kill and the Lopes led 11-9. Powers gave GCU a 17-14 lead with a kill, as the Lopes were hitting over .600 at the time. The Hornets finished the set on an 11-4 run to take the second 25-21.

Down in the third set 13-9, GCU rallied to pull even at 14-14 after a Tardy ace and CSUS error. Sac State scored six of the next eight points to lead 20-16 and force the Lopes to call timeout. The Hornets would hold off the Lopes 25-20.

GCU takes on Nevada at 5 PM on the Sac State campus in the final pre-season match for the Lopes.