Lopes drop 3 in Florida

Friday, March 29

South Beach, Fla.

5 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Florida State

3/29/2019 6:36:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

GCU falls to trio of ranked opponents

By: Cassidy Mace

SOUTH BEACH, Fla. – Grand Canyon beach volleyball faced three tough opponents on Day 1 of the FIU Surf & Turf Invitational. The No. 16 Lopes dropped three matches versus No. 3 Florida State, No. 8 Florida International and No. 20 TCU.

Vs. Florida State
The Lopes managed to get one court win over the No. 3 team in the country in their first match of the day but fell 4-1 to Florida State. Sophomore Bella Bauman and junior Jessica Stansfield earned a two-set win over the Seminoles on court three, 21-16, 24-22.

Senior Jamie Walsh and freshman Anaya Evans took the first loss of the day for the Lopes on court four, falling 21-17, 21-15. Junior Hannah Towne and redshirt freshman Teagan DeFalco were the next to fall, losing the court one match 21-18, 21-17. Senior Mikaela Raudsepp and freshman Katie Hess kept it a close match on court two, but the Seminoles outscored them 21-17, 21-18, to get the court point and clinch the match for Florida State.

Bauman and Stansfield came through with a win on court three before sophomore Taylor Jarzombek and freshman Esmee Priem pushed their court five match to three sets. The duo pushed their first two sets to extra points and won the second before falling to the Seminoles, 22-20, 23-25, 21-15.

Vs. Florida International
The Lopes got two court wins in their second match of the day versus No. 8 Florida International, but fell 3-2. FIU got the first court point of the day on No. 1, Raudsepp and DeFalco falling 21-16, 21-12. Stansfield and Bauman came back with a win on court three, taking down their opponents 21-17, 21-17 to tie the match.

Jarzombek and Priem pushed the Lopes ahead of Florida International 2-1 with a 21-17, 21-18 win on court five. However, GCU was unable to pull through with losses on courts four and two. Walsh and Evans pushed the court four match to three sets, eventually falling 21-17, 15-21, 18-16. Towne and Hess earned the final loss of the match on court two, putting up a three-set effort but finishing 21-15, 18-21, 15-8 behind FIU.

Vs. TCU
The final match of the day handed the Lopes another 3-2 loss from No. 20 TCU. Bauman and Stansfield got the Lopes started off strong with a 21-18, 21-18 win on court two. DeFalco and Raudsepp fell in the one spot, 21-16, 21-18, allowing the Horned Frogs to tie the match. Towne and Hess answered at No. 3, beating their opponents 21-14, 21-15 to put GCU back ahead.

The Lopes dropped the last two matches in the four and five spots. Jarzombek and Priem fell 21-19, 21-18 at four and Walsh and Evans dropped a three-set match, 15-21, 21-18, 15-11, on court five.

GCU returns to action on Saturday in Day 2 of the FIU Surf & Turf Invitational. The Lopes take on Florida Atlantic and LSU at 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. (Phoenix times).

No. 3 Florida State 4, No. 16 GCU 1
1. Alaina Chacon/Madison Fitzpatrick (Florida State) def. Hannah Towne/Teagan DeFalco (Grand Canyon), 21-18, 21-16
2. Sara Puh/Payton Rund (Florida State) def. Mikaela Raudsepp/Katie Hess (Grand Canyon), 21-17, 21-18
3. Jessica Stansfield/Bella Bauman (Grand Canyon) def. Brooke Kuhlman/Morgan Chacon (Florida State), 21-16, 24-22
4. Molly McBain/Payton Coffrey (Florida State) def. Jamie Walsh/Anya Evans (Grand Canyon), 21-17, 21-15
5. Macy Jarger/Kate Privett (Florida State) vs. Taylor Jarzombek/Esmee Priem (Grand Canyon), 22-20, 23-25, 15-13
Ex. Nikki Esposito/Avery Poppingo (Florida State) vs. Katie Sarber/Jasmine Hanna (Grand Canyon), 17-21, 21-16, 15-9

FIU 3, GCU 2
1. Federica Frasca/Margherita Bianchin (FIU) def. Mikaela Raudsepp/Teagan DeFalco (Grand Canyon) (GCU), 21-16, 21-12
2. Dorina Klinger/Ronja Klinger (FIU) vs. Hannah Towne/Katie Hess (GCU), 21-15, 18-21, 15-8
3. Jessica Stansfield/Bella Bauman (GCU) def. Allison Denney/Nina Petranovic (FIU), 21-17, 21-17
4. Lina Bernier/Erika Zembyla (FIU) vs. Jamie Walsh/Anaya Evans (GCU), 21-17, 15-21, 18-16
5. Taylor Jarzombek/Esmee Priem (GCU) def. Katie Friesen/Madison Besterfield (FIU), 21-17, 21-18
Ex. Mariana Dal Pozzo/Helene Thelle (FIU) def. Micaela Miravale/Ava Elia (GCU), 21-10, 16-21, 15-13

TCU 3, GCU 2
1. Mandi Orellana/Haven Hill (TCU) vs. Teagan DeFalco/Mikaela Raudsepp (GCU), 21-16, 21-18
2. Bella Bouman/Jessica Stansfield (GCU) def. Molly Scheel/Taylor Bradley, 21-18, 21-18
3. Hannah Towne/Katie Hess (GCU) def. Claire Doyle/Jordan Westendorff (TCU), 21-14, 21-15
4. Jaelyn Greene/Caroline White (TCU) vs. Esmee Priem/Taylor Jarzomdek (GCU), 21-19, 21-18
5. Avery Arellano/Hailey Brockett (TCU) vs. Jamie Walsh/Anaya Evans (GCU), 15-21, 21-18, 15-11
Ex. Katie Sarber/Ava Elia (GCU) def. Maddie Beal/Jensyn Bledsoe (TCU), 21-13, 21-14