Lopes edge Bearcats, 3-2

Saturday, March 11

Lebanon, IL

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-8 (8-4)MIVA

McKendree

7-14 (2-6)MIVA

GCU

McKendree

3/11/2017 11:12:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Jake Hernandez

LEBANON, Ill. – The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team edged McKendree in five sets, 3-2 on Saturday night to improve to 12-8 on the season and 8-4 in MIVA play. The Lopes have now won three straight matches.

The Lopes defeated the Bearcats in five sets by the scores of 25-18, 23-25, 22-25, 25-20 and 15-11. GCU's Cullen Mosher led all players with 24 kills while adding three blocks.

Following Mosher with kills, Cody Williams also posted double-digit kills with 10. Drake Silbernagel added nine kills with a team-leading two aces. Puna Kaniho had a team-leading 28 assists, followed by Michael Milstein with 27.

In the first set, the Lopes got off to a quick 6-0 lead before ultimately falling behind 19-15 to the Bearcats. The deficit was not enough to stop the Lopes as Grand Canyon closed out the set on a 5-0 run to take the set.

The Bearcats would respond by taking the next two sets by the scores of 25-23 and 25-22 in the thriller on Saturday night. Now down 2-1 to the Bearcats, the Lopes depended on seven kills by Mosher to even the match 2-2 and send the two teams into the fifth and final set.

In the fifth set, the two teams went nearly point-for-point at 10-10 before the Lopes went on their run to close out the road trip with their third-consecutive victory. The Lopes would go on to score six of the next seven points to win the deciding set 15-11. Williams led the charge with three kills to close out the Bearcats.