Lopes settle for road split at Utah Valley

Saturday, October 28

Orem, Utah

12:00 P.M.

Grand Canyon

8-15, 3-8WAC

Utah Valley

12-13, 7-3WAC

Grand Canyon

Utah Valley

Photo by: Chris Hook

10/28/2017 1:34:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Mark Oshidari

OREM, Utah– The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team suffered its first conference loss of the second half, falling at Utah Valley 25-19, 25-17, 25-18 on Saturday afternoon.

Utah Valley controlled the net, out-blocking GCU 14-2 and outhitting the Lopes .402 - .158.

Claire Kovensky led the Lopes with 12 kills on .310 hitting. Teagan DeFalco added nine kills and six digs, while Natalie Tardy finished with eight kills and a block. Tardy's career total is up to 990 as she chases down the 1,000 career kills mark.

Maria Adams and Hannah Hicks added four kills apiece.

Heidi Carpenter finished with a team-high 22 assists while Emma Ahern led GCU with 11 digs.

Madison Dennison led UVU with 15 kills and Alexis Davies added 12 kills.

Utah Valley scored the first three points of the match before Kovensky got the Lopes on the board. Tressa Schuler gave the Lopes their first lead at 7-6 with an ace. GCU got its first two point lead after a pair of kills by Kovensky pushed GCU ahead 13-11. The Lopes led 15-14 but UVU scored six of the next eight points to lead 20-17. UVU would close out the set 25-19.

In the second set, a kill by Tardy tied the set at 11-11. Three straight points off kills by DeFalco and Tardy would give GCU a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. UVU would go on a 9-1 run and lead 21-16, forcing the Lopes to call timeout. The Wolverines would close the set 25-17.

In the third set, UVU scored 10 of the first 15 points to lead by five. With the Lopes trailing 20-10, Sarah Hagge got some action in at setter for the first time this season. UVU would end up winning the set and match, 25-18.

With the loss, GCU drops to 8-15, 3-8 Western Athletic Conference.

GCU is back in action on Friday when it hosts CSUB.