GCU sweeps Day 1 of TCU tourney

Friday, March 1

Fort Worth, Texas

9:30 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Tulane

3/1/2019 1:42:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

No. 19 Lopes down Tulane, Missouri State at Horned Frogs Challenge

By: Cassidy Mace

FORT WORTH, Texas – The 19th-ranked Grand Canyon beach volleyball team went 2-0 on Day 1 of the Horned Frogs Challenge at TCU, defeating No. 17 Tulane (2-4) and Missouri State (0-1) to improve to 3-2.

Tulane
Courts four and five got the Lopes off to a strong start against the Green Wave, taking the first and second wins of the day. Senior Jamie Walsh and redshirt freshman Teagan DeFalco remained undefeated this season on court five, taking down their opponents 21-10, 21-12. Freshman Esmee Priem and sophomore Taylor Jarzombek followed up with a 21-17, 21-16 win on court four to start the Lopes off with a 2-0 lead over Tulane.

Hannah Towne and Katie Hess dropped GCU's first match of the day on court one, falling to the Green Wave, 21-15, 22-20. The court three duo of junior Jessica Stansfield and sophomore Bella Bauman improved to 4-0 on the season with a 21-17, 21-19 win on court three, securing the win for the Lopes. Freshman Anaya Evans and senior partner Mikaela Raudsepp lost the second and final match of the day at court two after driving their first set to extra points before eventually dropping the match, 25-23, 21-16.

The win ties the all-time series against the Green Wave 1-1.

Missouri State
GCU took a commanding 5-0 win over the Missouri State Bears in its second matchup of the Horned Frogs Challenge, marking the first time the two teams have faced off. Walsh and DeFalco again earned the Lopes' first point of the dual, winning 21-11, 21-9 at court five. Jarzombek and Priem followed by taking their match 21-13, 21-18 on court four.

Towne and Hess won their first match as a court one pairing, taking down their Missouri State counterparts 21-15, 21-8 to earn the Lopes third court win and secure the match. Evans and Raudsepp pulled in the fourth win at court four, prevailing 21-17, 23-21 before Stansfield and Bauman drove home the sweep with a 21-15, 21-16 win on court three.

Up Next
The Lopes are back in action Saturday, taking on the host school, TCU, at 9 a.m. and No. 16 Georgia State at 1 p.m. Follow the Lopes on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_Beach for updates. Live stats are also available here.

No. 19 GCU 3, No. 17 Tulane 2
1. Kaylie McHugh/Eva Torruella (TULANE) def. Hannah Towne/Katie Hess (GCU) 21-15, 22-20
2. Lauren Orlich/Rio Frohoff (TULANE) def. Anaya Evans/Mikaela Raudsepp (GCU) 25-23, 21-16
3. Jessica Stansfield/Bella Bauman (GCU) def. Tarin Mergener/Addison Hermstad (TULANE) 21-17, 21-19
4. Esmee Priem/Taylor Jarzombek (GCU) def. Haley Gibson/Ellie Leitko (TULANE) 21-17, 21-16
5. Jamie Walsh/Teagan DeFalco (GCU) def. Gabriella Becerra/Kilani Daane (TULANE) 21-10, 21-12

No. 19 GCU 5, Missouri State 0
1. Hannah Towne/Katie Hess (GCU) def. Mikaela Mosquera/Ivy Reynolds (MSU) 21-15, 21-8
2. Anaya Evans/Mikaela Raudsepp (GCU) def. Julia Hanson/Chloee McDaniel (MSU) 21-17, 23-21
3. Jessica Stansfield/Bella Bauman (GCU) def. Kylee Davis/Kelsey Larsen (MSU) 21-15, 21-16
4. Taylor Jarzombek/Esmee Priem (GCU) def. Sam Brinkmann/Sydney LeMay (MSU) 21-13, 21-18
5. Jamie Walsh/Teagan DeFalco (GCU) def. Bentley Mara/Sarah Demmer (MSU) 21-11, 21-9
Ext. Ava Elia/Jasmine Hanna (GCU) def. Abby Jackson/Sydney Wright (MSU) 21-14, 21-15