Lopes upset No. 9 Stetson in split duals

Friday, April 14

Tallahassee, Fla.

5:30 a.m.

Grand Canyon

FIU

4/14/2017 7:50:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

By: Lisa Amsler

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – The No. 10 Grand Canyon beach volleyball team drops to 15-7 on the season after splitting the first day of the Florida State Alumni Weekend Tournament on Friday against top-ranked talent. The Lopes fell 4-1 in their first match against No. 14 FIU before securing a 3-2 victory over No. 9 Stetson.

Game 1

The Lopes did not get off to a good start, with the No. 5 and No. 4 pairs falling to their opponents in three-set matches. Kelli Iverson and Jessica Clark were defeated 14-21, 21-19, 15-8 with Tyanna Roy and Emily Reinking not far behind with final set scores of 21-12, 18-21, 15-12. Hannah Towne and Jordyn Sanchez were taken down 21-14, 21-13 while Rebecca Conrad and Jessica Stansfield battled it out on Court 2. The pair narrowly missed a victory on the first set and was unable to pick up momentum, losing 21-18, 21-11. Molly Turner and Tjasa Kotnik pulled through for the Lopes, avoiding a sweep with a victorious three-set match of 28-30, 22-20, 15-10.

Game 2

The Lopes rebounded from their morning match to steal the first point against the Stetson Hatters. Hannah Towne and Emily Reinking quickly took down their No. 4 opponents 21-12, 21-17 while Jessica Clark and Kelli Iverson fought a back and forth battle, narrowly losing 21-18 in both sets. The Lopes lost the lead when Tyanna Roy and Jordyn Sanchez were unable to gain control on Court 3, ultimately falling 21-13, 21-11. Molly Turner and Tjasa Kotnik continued their winning streak and turned things around for GCU with a solid 21-16, 22-20 victory. Rebecca Conrad and Jessica Stansfield sealed the deal in a high-scoring rally. After dropping their first set 15-21, the No. 2 pair dominated 21-17, 16-14 in the final two sets to give the Lopes their well-earned victory.

The Lopes will conclude competition on Saturday with a match against No. 4 Florida State Seminoles.

Florida International 4, Grand Canyon 1
    1. Molly Turner/Tjasa Kotnik (GCU) def. Margherita Bianchin/Frederica Frasca (FIU) 28-30, 22-20, 15-10
    2. Taija Thomas/Katie Friesen (FIU) def. Rebecca Conrad/Jessica Stansfield (GCU) 21-18, 21-11
    3. Katie Hogan/Helene Thelle (FIU) def. Hannah Towne/Jordyn Sanchez (GCU) 21-14, 21-13
    4. Lina Bernier/Natalia Giron (FIU) def. Tyanna Roy/Emily Reinking (GCU) 21-12, 18-21, 15-12
    5. Anabela Sataric/Estefanie Bethancour (FIU) def. Kelli Iverson/Jessica Clark (GCU) 14-21, 21-19, 15-8
    Ext. Morgan Crawley/Kari Peterson (FIU) def. Anna Unnasch/Micaela Mirabal (GCU) 21-5, 21-10

Grand Canyon 3, Stetson 2
    1. Tjasa Kotnik/Molly Turner (GCU) def. Darby Dunn/Kristin Lind (STET) 21-16, 22-20
    2. Rebecca Conrad/Jessica Stansfield (GCU) def. Kaylee Anderson/Emily Carroll (STET) 15-21, 21-17, 16-14
    3. Tiffany Creamer/Rachel Noble (STET) def. Tyanna Roy/Jordyn Sanchez (GCU) 21-13, 21-11
    4. Emily Reinking/Hannah Towne (GCU) def. S. Helland-Hansen/Carly Perales (STET) 21-12, 21-17
    5. Lauren Durham/Julie Varga (STET) def. Jessica Clark/Kelli Iverson (GCU) 21-18, 21-18
    Ext. Jamie Walsh/Samantha Harris (STET) def. Micaela Mirabal/Leigh Stonerook (GCU) 21-16, 21-13