Sweep secures 1st win

Friday, March 2

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Vanguard

Photo by: Gillian Rea

3/2/2018 9:39:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Lopes use 5-0 win to beat Vanguard for 1st win of 2018

By: Fletcher Like

After starting the season with four tough losses, Grand Canyon (1-4) picked up its first win of the season with a 5-0 sweep over Vanguard (0-5). The Lopes did not drop a single set on the night as they took 10 straight sets from the Lions.

"It felt really good to get a win under our belt after a really rough opening weekend," head coach Kristen Rohr said. "The girls had a great week of practice and were excited to step in the sand again to compete."

One of the first two pairings to compete, the number two pairing of Katie Pyles and Jessica Stansfield chipped away slowly and steadily to take a 21-12 first set victory and then a 21-15 second set win over the Lions on a kill from Pyles.

On the neighboring court, Bella Bauman and Jessica Clark jumped out to an early 11-2 lead on the Vanguard pairing and never let up, taking the first set 21-8. Bauman and Clark stayed confident and smart in the second set with big blocks and crafty plays to take another 21-8 win in set number two.

Kelli Iverson returned to the beach courts and didn't look like the first weekend absence affected her play as her and partner Molly Turner extended rallies, got timely blocks and made smart attack shots to take the pairing 21-9, 21-11.

The number five pairing for GCU, Emily Reinking and Jamie Walsh, lit up the scoreboard with large margins of victory in both sets, 21-5 and 21-3, utilizing timely combinations of different types of attacks and smart defense.

In the number three pairing for GCU, Hannah Towne and Taylor Jarzombek had to fight off a Lions pairing that didn't want to go down easily in the first before Jarzombek was able to get a dig-kill, a dig that goes over the net and lands in the court for a kill, to put the Lopes up 20-17 before finishing off the set 21-17. In the second set, with all eyes on their court, Jarzombek and Towne used big serves and big defense to run away with the set, 21-11, finishing the night and the sweep.

The exhibition match pairing of Madi Relaz and Natalie Honzovicova did not drop a set in their 2-0 win over Vanguard's sixth pairing.

With a quick turnaround, the Lopes face Loyola Marymount (2-0) Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Beach Volleyball Stadium.