Conference play resumes

Friday, March 22

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 P.M.

Grand Canyon

Concordia Irvine

Photo by: Gillian Rea

3/21/2019 5:47:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Lopes face first non-ranked opponent in over a month

By: Alex Nash

The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team looks to get back in the win column when conference foe Concordia-Irvine comes to Antelope Gym on Friday.

This is the first non-ranked opponent that GCU (11-12) will face since Feb. 9 when they last matched up against the Eagles (10-14). The Lopes come out of their nine-match stretch, where they played all top-15 teams with a 4-5 record. Four of those wins came in the past five matches.

Last weekend's finale against No. 14 George Mason marked the end of a four-game win streak, which included then-No. 9 Loyola Chicago (twice), No. 10 USC and the first tilt against No. 14 George Mason.

Friday's match also will signify the end of the Lopes' seven-game homestand in which the team has gone 4-2 so far.

Redshirt freshman setter Tanner Petchul was the story once again last weekend as he continued his hot play. The California native recorded 107 assists, 18 digs and five kills in his 11 sets of action. Against USC, Petchul collected a career-high 47 assists and helped four Lopes record double-digit kills, a feat that had not happened this season.

Freshman Cole Udall also continued his impressive play, tying his career high in digs against USC with 15. The Arizona native is now tied for first in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in digs per set with 2.05 and has increased that margin in conference-only matches with 2.42.

Sophomore opposite David Kisiel continues to lead the offense. Kisiel has double-digit kills in eight of the past nine matches and is averaging 15.4 kills during the stretch. The Glendale (Ariz.) Ironwood High graduate had his coming-out party in the previous match between GCU and Concordia-Irvine, recording a then-career-high 22 kills.

The one-match week comes at the perfect time for GCU. The Lopes are second in the nation in total sets played with 92, trailing only Emmanuel (Ga.) with 95. Continuing to look at the national level, the Lopes rank in the top 10 for opponent hitting percentage. Of the top 10 teams in hitting percentage, GCU has faced eight of them and held six under their season average.

GCU will hit the road next week for two matches, facing No. 4 Pepperdine and No. 5 UCLA before returning home to close the season.

SCOUTING:

Concordia-Irvine | Saturday, 6 p.m. | Phoenix, Ariz. | Antelope Gym

The Eagles' 10 wins this season have all come at home, including their four-match win streak that came to an end last weekend at the hands of USC. The biggest win of the season for the Eagles came just over a week ago when they swept No. 5 UC Irvine. The win marked the first over a ranked program this season and the first time the Eagles have ever beaten UCI. To add to the historic night, head coach Shawn Patchel recorded his 100^th career win at CUI. Addison Enriques, twin of Lopes libero Avery Enriques, is tied for the MPSF lead in digs per set with 2.05. This will be the 15th meeting between the Lopes and Eagles with the series tied at 7-7.