Road sweep nets GCU's 20th win

Saturday, November 2

Orem, Utah

Noon

Grand Canyon

20-4,10-2WAC

Utah Valley

9-15,6-6WAC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Grand Canyon	25	25	26	3
Utah Valley	22	23	24	0

11/2/2019 2:54:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Lopes beat UVU for 1st time, extend winning streak to 6

By: Sam Kuzminski

OREM, Utah – The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team hit the 20-win mark Saturday by defeating Utah Valley for the first time in program history with a three-set road sweep.

After a 3-1 loss earlier this season to Utah Valley, GCU (20-4, 10-2 WAC) fought together to win 25-22, 25-23, 26-24 despite falling behind by four points in each of the first two sets and by six points in the third set. The Lopes became one of 20 teams in the nation with 20 wins, remain in second place in the WAC behind New Mexico State (21-3, 12-0) and are one win away from matching the GCU Division I record for victories (21-11 in 2014).

"This afternoon, we played with some poise and confidence," Lopes head coach Tim Nollan said. "I am super proud how we translated our game plan into action today. It was a good win against a well-coached team."

GCU moved to 9-1 on the road this season for a dramatic turnaround from last season's 1-10 away mark.

Senior outside hitter Melody Horton (11 kills), sophomore middle blocker Kaira Moss (10 kills), junior outside hitter Yeny Murillo (10 kills) and sophomore middle blocker Annabelle Kubinski (nine kills) contributed to the Lopes' .306 hitting with 41 assists from freshman setting Klaire Mitchell. Moss hit .500 for the match and shared the GCU blocking lead with Kubinski at six.

The Lopes started the first set playing catch-up against Utah Valley, which took a 13-9 lead. Despite the start, GCU was able to have a higher hitting percentage (.316) than Utah Valley (.262). Lopes senior outside hitter Melody Horton and junior opposite Sarah Hagge led the team with four kills each in the set, which Moss ended with a kill for a 25-22 win.

GCU came out with energy in the second set to lead 2-0 but Utah Valley responded for a 7-4 lead. The set went back and forth and was tied at 18-18 and 23-23. The Lopes continued to have a higher hitting percentage at .310, compared to the Wolverines' .203. Murillo shined in this set to account for eight kills out of the teams' 32 kills at that point. Utah Valley led 23-22 but Moss ended the set with two kills and a block for the 25-23 win and a 2-0 match lead for GCU.

The battle continued in the third set with Utah Valley leading 9-3 until GCU responded with a 3-0 run with the two combo blocks by Moss and Mitchell. Another 3-0 run pulled GCU to within 12-11 on succesive kills by Murillo, Hagge and Kubinski.

The Lopes still trailed 15-13 when a 4-0 run flipped momentum with two of the points coming on Moss blocks and another on a service ace by senior libero Alyssa Chisholm. Moss added consecutive right-side kills for a 19-16 lead before the Wolverines bounced back and had the match tied at 22-22, 23-23 and 24-24. That is when GCU closed out the match with senior outside hitter Melody Horton setting up match point with a kill and Mitchell and Moss getting the match-clinching block at the middle of the net.

GCU was previously 0-13 against Utah Valley.

"Everyone felt like we owed this team something from losing so close the first time around," Horton said. "They are a really good team, so we had to come out strong. From back row to front row, everyone did their job and it showed how good we can play when all areas are working together."

The Lopes return home for four matches in a row, beginning on Thursday against UT Rio Grande Valley with a following visit from first-place New Mexico State on Saturday. The regular-season finale, also Senior Day, takes place at the GCU Arena on Nov. 16 against CSU Bakersfield.