GCU to battle Loyola for home court advantage in MIVA playoffs

FRIDAY, MARCH 31
6:00 PM MST \| Gentile Arena \| Chicago, Ill.
GRAND CANYON LOPES	at	LOYOLA RAMBLERS

	GCU
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
6:00 PM MST \| Gentile Arena \| Chicago, Ill.
GRAND CANYON LOPES	at	LOYOLA RAMBLERS

PHOENIX – For the first time in program history, the GCU men's volleyball team has control over their own destiny in the MIVA playoffs. The Lopes will face the No. 10 Loyola Ramblers for two matches this Friday and Saturday. Grand Canyon sits at third in the MIVA with a league record of 10-4 this season while Loyola is in fourth place with a 7-5 record. If the Lopes win one match against Loyola, they will host their first home playoff match.

"We are treating Friday night like it is a first round playoff match," GCU head coach Matt Werle stated. "We know the importance of a home court advantage in playoffs and one win will guarantee a first round home match. We keep preaching that we have to earn each point and we want to earn the home court advantage."

Last weekend, the Lopes split two matches with Princeton. GCU struggled with errors during the Friday match and fell in five sets. On Saturday, Grand Canyon returned to form and defeated Princeton in four sets. During the win, four Lopes led the team offensively. Cody Williams, Cullen Mosher, and Drake Silbernagel each tallied double-digit kills while setter Michael Milstein added 47 assists.

Scouting Loyola
Loyola has been a powerhouse in men's volleyball for years and has an overall record of 14-9 this season. The Ramblers have been ranked as No. 10 in the nation for the past four weeks. On Tuesday night, Loyola went the distance with No. 7 Lewis, falling in five sets. The Ramblers are 10-4 on their home court at Gentile Arena while GCU has a road record of 7-5.

Last season, GCU defeated Loyola for the first time in program history. Before the five set win, Loyola had won 17 matches in a row against GCU. The Lopes will seek more winning results this week and continue to prove how far the program has advanced in recent years.

"There's no question that we are going to have to play very well this weekend to come out with wins," added Werle. "Loyola is a great team and extremely well coached. They are well balanced at the net with a number of different weapons. We have done some nice things this season and found a way to win, but we need to play a complete match."

The first contest will be played at 6 p.m. MST on Friday, March 31 while the second will also begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. Both matches will be played in Gentile Arena and live stats can be followed here. Live streaming will also be available here.

GCU to battle Loyola for home court advantage in MIVA playoffs

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Players Mentioned

Michael Milstein

Cullen Mosher

Drake Silbernagel

Cody Williams

Grand Canyon University Athletics

GCU to battle Loyola for home court advantage in MIVA playoffs

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Michael Milstein

Cullen Mosher

Drake Silbernagel

Cody Williams

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