Completed Event: Men's Volleyball versus #6 BYU on March 21, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 3

M Volleyball
vs #6 BYU
L 1-3
2/26/2017 3:27:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
PHOENIX – Until Sunday afternoon, Ohio State had not played more than four sets all season long. GCU pushed the Buckeyes to five sets and fell just short of upsetting the No. 1 team in the country. The Lopes lost by scores of 25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 25-27, and 15-11 to the defending national champions. Ohio State remains perfect on the season, improving to 17-0, while Grand Canyon falls to 9-7 overall.
"We made another step forward today," head coach Matt Werle stated. "Ohio State came out in the first set and played extremely well. In the past, we would have pulled back. The Lopes are getting stronger mentally, buying into the 'team' and we are understanding the process to become great."
In the first set, GCU matched Ohio State's intensity and proved that they could hang with the nation's No. 1. The Lopes ultimately dropped the set by a score of 25-18 but rallied back in Set 2.
After starting the set down 10-6, GCU showed resiliency and battled back to lock the game at 15 all thanks to two kills from Shalev Saada. The Lopes then went on a 5-2 run to gain the lead at 20-17 and force OSU to take their second timeout. After back-and-forth play, Saada's sixth kill of the set sealed the 25-22 victory.
Ohio State jumped out to an 8-3 lead in Set 3 and never looked back despite a few GCU rallies. The Lopes briefly took the lead on a kill from Drake Silbernagel, up 22-21, but OSU scored four straight points to put the set out of reach and win 25-22.
Again, GCU refused to back down after a close set loss. The Lopes and the Buckeyes battled throughout all of Set 4, with Grand Canyon hitting an outstanding .650 for the set. Cullen Mosher's ace earned the 27-25 set win for GCU.
The positive momentum carried into Set 5 for GCU and the Lopes led 10-8, forcing an Ohio State timeout. After the break, the Buckeyes went on a 7-1 run to close the match and keep their perfect season alive.
"I am pleased with the first four and half sets but from up 10-8 in the fifth set, we did not execute," Werle explained. "I have asked the team to reflect on this weekend until 8 o'clock tonight, but at 8 p.m. they must move on and switch gears for our midweek match up with Ball State. Again, the home crowd was phenomenal and we are extremely appreciative."
Matthew Kinnebrew led GCU during the contest with 18 kills. Saada followed closely behind with 15 kills. Setter Michael Milstein tallied 39 assists for the match and Mosher led the defense with six digs.
GCU will continue MIVA play this week against Ball State. The Lopes travel to Muncie, Indiana for two mid-week matchups with the Cardinals. The first contest will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1 and the second will be played at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 2.