2-way play puts GCU alone in 2nd

Saturday, October 26

Phoenix, Ariz.

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-5,7-3WAC

Kansas City

11-9,7-3WAC

Kansas City

Grand Canyon

10/26/2019 6:40:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score GCU-KANSAS CITY PHOTO GALLERY

Lopes show balance on offense, defense to beat Roos in 4

By: Paul Coro

In it its second trip through the WAC this season, the Grand Canyon women's volleyball team is no longer the sleeper who conference coaches picked to finish seventh in the WAC.

The Lopes are big dreamers who think and play like they are capable of winning the WAC.

GCU (18-4, 8-2 WAC) moved into sole possession of second place in the WAC with a four-set win against Kansas City on Saturday, breaking a standings tie with the Roos by playing one of its most efficient matches. The Lopes won 25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16 at GCU Arena with only 11 errors, the lowest total in GCU's Division I era for a four- or five-set match.

The Lopes tied for the 12th-most wins in the nation by also hitting .358, the fourth-best clip in the program's Division I history. This year's team also posted the third-best effort against San Diego State in September.

"We had what I thought was a pretty good game plan drawn up and they came out and they executed it really well," GCU head coach Tim Nollan said. "(Freshman setter) Klaire Mitchell did a really nice job of taking the game plan from the locker room and putting it into effect on the court. She was reading and the hitters did a good job of finishing what she started. Klaire put them in good situations and the hitter did a good job of terminating. We did that part really, really well."

Mitchell spread out the offense with a 37 assists, 33 of which came in the final three sets. GCU outside hitter Melody Horton recorded consecutive double-digit kill games for the first time since Sept. 14 and posted her third double-double in the past four matches.

"This win really makes us excited for the future and for how far we've come," Horton said. "Everyone knows we started out as underdogs but I don't think everyone knows we're here and ready to win the WAC Tournament now. With each game, we trust each other more and we believe in ourselves more that we can go all the way."

Horton was backed by junior outside hitter Yeny Murillo's 10 kills and sophomore middle blockers Annabelle Kubinski and Kaira Moss each adding eight kills. Kubinski now ranks 16th in the nation for hitting percentage (.413).

GCU took a season sweep from Kansas City (11-9, 7-3) by dominating the first two sets with .447 hitting. The Lopes ended the first set on a 14-3 tear that was sparked by Moss' back-to-back solo blocks. But even after Horton and Kubinski each put down four kills in the second set, GCU faltered offensively in the third set and could not pull closer than 19-17, 22-20 and 23-21.

The Lopes restored control of the match in the fourth set, which it never trailed after Kansas City led 2-1. The Roos hit only .088 in the set and GCU walloped them to the match point, when Moss used a reverse set from Mitchell for a right-side kill that hit floor as Kansas City's second blocker was still going up at the net.

The defensive effort was spread well too in GCU's fourth consecutive win, with Horton sharing the team high for digs (13) with Mitchell and junior libero Teagan DeFalco adding 10 more.

The Lopes already have secured their best WAC season and are only three wins away from their Division I-era victory record of 21, set in 2014.

"If we can continue to be more efficient on the offensive side of the ball, the defensive side of the ball has been our strength all year," Nollan said. "If we can keep improving the weaker parts of our game, I think we're going to be tough to beat later in November."

GCU heads out on the road next for a Thursday match at Seattle U and a revenge match at Utah Valley on Nov. 2.