Completed Event: Men's Volleyball versus #6 BYU on March 21, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 3
M Volleyball
vs #6 BYU
L 1-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, January 18
Lebanon, Tenn.
2 P.M.
Grand Canyon
vs
Barton College
Photo by: Gillian Rea
'Grow the Game' welcomes GCU
1/17/2019 9:49:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Lopes head to Nashville for 3 matches at nation's largest nonconference tourney
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 15th-ranked Grand Canyon men's volleyball team travels to Tennessee this weekend to participate in Off The Block's "Grow the Game Challenge," the nation's largest nonconference collegiate men's volleyball tournament of the regular season.
The Lopes will match up against Barton College, Lindenwood and Lincoln Memorial on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to kick off five consecutive road matches that conclude next week in the San Diego area. This is the second edition of the Nashville-area tournament, where GCU went 2-1 last year.
The Lopes are looking to add to their three-match winning streak after opening the home season last week with wins over Benedictine and Ottawa. The matches, which are hosted by Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., will feature two familiar foes and a new challenge for the program. GCU will face Barton College for the sixth time and Lindenwood for the 16th time in program history. Sunday will be the first-ever matchup between GCU and Lincoln Memorial.
Freshman outside Christian Janke will look to continue to lead the Lopes offense after having his most efficient match of the season on Saturday. Against Ottawa, the Carlsbad, Calif., native led all players with 11 kills that paired with a .556 hitting percentage. Janke leads the Lopes in kills (66) and tops the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation leaderboard. On defense, the blocking game has been what sets GCU apart in the young season. Middle blockers Alex Shmelev and Caleb Blazer each recorded 20 blocks to sit atop the MPSF.
As a team, GCU leads the conference in blocks, is second in opponent hitting percentage and third in digs. Nationally, the Lopes' 2.61 blocks per set is good for second best.
The Grow the Game Challenge features a 10-team field and is hosted by Off the Block, a collegiate men's volleyball web site.
The Grow the Game Challenge operates as a non-profit organization and is based in Nashville. The organization is committed to helping promote the growth of college men's volleyball throughout the U.S. by coordinating regular-season tournaments in areas of the nation that do not have NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball teams. The tournament will feature multiple "trophy matches," including GCU's match against 2018 tournament winner Lindenwood.
SCOUTING
Barton College (0-2): The Bulldogs are looking to build on an impressive 2018 campaign, when they went 21-8 and 15-1 in Conference Carolinas play. After splitting the regular-season crown, Barton fell in the conference tournament finals. This season, Barton is 0-2 following losses to George Mason and No. 1 Long Beach State. The Mandilaris brothers. Angelos and Vasilis, return and team up with four more upperclassmen but freshman outside Adrian Iglesias who has led the charge with 20 kills, averaging 2.86 per set. On defense, senior middle Justice Lord leads with seven total blocks through seven sets of play. GCU is 5-0 in matches against Barton.
Lindenwood (0-2): The Lions are off to an 0-2 start, falling to Charleston and No. 2 UCLA last weekend. Trying to improve on a 9-16 season in 2018, the Lions return key players. All-Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association setter Adam Brewster teams up with 2019 preseason All-MIVA honoree Connor Hipelius to lead the attack. Brewster made waves last season, averaging 9.78 assists per set thanks in part to a 63-assist performance against Princeton. Charley Hlavin has been the one to step up in 2019, leading the Lions with 26 kills, averaging 3.25 per set. This will be the 16th all-time meeting between GCU and Lindenwood and the second since GCU left the MIVA. The Lopes have a slight advantage, winning eight of the 15 previous matches.
Lincoln Memorial (3-0): The Railsplitters are off to an undefeated start after a perfect home-opening weekend. Nine players return from last season's 14-13 squad, including junior Evan Cory, who led the team in kills (344) and was second in blocks (89). Cory kept the momentum going into 2019 as the team leader in kills (45), digs (14) and aces (13). Lincoln Memorial is in its third year of men's volleyball and will face GCU for the first time.
The Lopes will match up against Barton College, Lindenwood and Lincoln Memorial on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to kick off five consecutive road matches that conclude next week in the San Diego area. This is the second edition of the Nashville-area tournament, where GCU went 2-1 last year.
The Lopes are looking to add to their three-match winning streak after opening the home season last week with wins over Benedictine and Ottawa. The matches, which are hosted by Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., will feature two familiar foes and a new challenge for the program. GCU will face Barton College for the sixth time and Lindenwood for the 16th time in program history. Sunday will be the first-ever matchup between GCU and Lincoln Memorial.
Freshman outside Christian Janke will look to continue to lead the Lopes offense after having his most efficient match of the season on Saturday. Against Ottawa, the Carlsbad, Calif., native led all players with 11 kills that paired with a .556 hitting percentage. Janke leads the Lopes in kills (66) and tops the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation leaderboard. On defense, the blocking game has been what sets GCU apart in the young season. Middle blockers Alex Shmelev and Caleb Blazer each recorded 20 blocks to sit atop the MPSF.
As a team, GCU leads the conference in blocks, is second in opponent hitting percentage and third in digs. Nationally, the Lopes' 2.61 blocks per set is good for second best.
The Grow the Game Challenge features a 10-team field and is hosted by Off the Block, a collegiate men's volleyball web site.
The Grow the Game Challenge operates as a non-profit organization and is based in Nashville. The organization is committed to helping promote the growth of college men's volleyball throughout the U.S. by coordinating regular-season tournaments in areas of the nation that do not have NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball teams. The tournament will feature multiple "trophy matches," including GCU's match against 2018 tournament winner Lindenwood.
SCOUTING
Barton College (0-2): The Bulldogs are looking to build on an impressive 2018 campaign, when they went 21-8 and 15-1 in Conference Carolinas play. After splitting the regular-season crown, Barton fell in the conference tournament finals. This season, Barton is 0-2 following losses to George Mason and No. 1 Long Beach State. The Mandilaris brothers. Angelos and Vasilis, return and team up with four more upperclassmen but freshman outside Adrian Iglesias who has led the charge with 20 kills, averaging 2.86 per set. On defense, senior middle Justice Lord leads with seven total blocks through seven sets of play. GCU is 5-0 in matches against Barton.
Lindenwood (0-2): The Lions are off to an 0-2 start, falling to Charleston and No. 2 UCLA last weekend. Trying to improve on a 9-16 season in 2018, the Lions return key players. All-Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association setter Adam Brewster teams up with 2019 preseason All-MIVA honoree Connor Hipelius to lead the attack. Brewster made waves last season, averaging 9.78 assists per set thanks in part to a 63-assist performance against Princeton. Charley Hlavin has been the one to step up in 2019, leading the Lions with 26 kills, averaging 3.25 per set. This will be the 16th all-time meeting between GCU and Lindenwood and the second since GCU left the MIVA. The Lopes have a slight advantage, winning eight of the 15 previous matches.
Lincoln Memorial (3-0): The Railsplitters are off to an undefeated start after a perfect home-opening weekend. Nine players return from last season's 14-13 squad, including junior Evan Cory, who led the team in kills (344) and was second in blocks (89). Cory kept the momentum going into 2019 as the team leader in kills (45), digs (14) and aces (13). Lincoln Memorial is in its third year of men's volleyball and will face GCU for the first time.
Players Mentioned
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