First conference road test for the Lopes

Friday, February 10

Quincy, IL

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Quincy

2/9/2017 11:28:00 AM | Men's Volleyball

By: Samantha Fell

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10
7:00 PM EST \| Pepsi Arena \| Quincy, Ill.
GRAND CANYON LOPES	at	QUINCY HAWKS

	GCU
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11
7:00 PM EST \| Pepsi Arena \| Quincy, Ill.
GRAND CANYON LOPES	at	QUINCY HAWKS

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team will compete in their first road conference matches of the season this weekend against the Quincy University Hawks. After going 3-1 in MIVA play on their home court, GCU will travel to Illinois for two matches with Quincy, the first on Friday, Feb. 10 and the second on Saturday Feb. 11.

"Any conference weekend is huge for us," head coach Matt Werle remarked. "No matter how we have to make it happen, we need to win both matches this weekend."

The Lopes took a break from conference action last week as they faced two non-league opponents in California. GCU dropped a match against California Baptist on Friday evening but rebounded against Concordia Irvine on Saturday to earn the victory and even their overall record at 5-5.

During the win, the Lopes were led by two career nights from their outsides. Shalev Saada recorded 24 kills and Cullen Mosher added 18. GCU's middle hitters have played consistently all season long. Ashton King leads the Lopes with 89 kills for the season while Drake Silbernagel is not too far behind with 65 kills. Setter Michael Milstein has efficiently run the offense, recording 347 assists.

Scouting Quincy
The Lopes have a history of difficult circumstances against the Hawks. In the past, GCU has played through adverse conditions of sickness, missing starters, and weather-related delays. This weekend will be no different as GCU's travel has been slowed by flight conditions.

"Needless to say, Quincy has been our kryptonite," Werle added. "We are going to have to play tough and resilient all weekend."

This year, Quincy has an overall record of 3-6 with a 1-2 mark in MIVA play. Most recently, the Hawks were defeated in straight sets by both Loyola Chicago and Lewis. Quincy's lone conference win came against Lindenwood on January 28, a four-set victory.

The match will begin at 6 p.m. MST and be broadcasted on the GLVS Sports Network. Live stats can also be accessed at gculopes.com.