Lopes rally to down UC Riverside

Saturday, September 14

Phoenix, Ariz.

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-1

UC Riverside

3-4

UC Riverside

Grand Canyon

9/14/2019 3:00:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

GCU claims 4th set in extra points

By: Sarah Woodward

The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team rallied to win three straight sets over UC Riverside for a 25-27, 25-11, 25-21, 27-25 win Saturday in the GCU Invitational at GCU Arena.

The Lopes (7-1) are on a four-match winning streak entering Saturday's 7 p.m. tournament title-deciding finale against San Diego State.

"We found a way to win ugly," GCU head coach Tim Nollan said. "UC Riverside kept us off balance and we had to adjust and grind through some difficulties. Our block had some difficulty getting in their hitter timing, but I am extremely proud of how we kept fighting and forcing the issue."

Freshman setter Klaire Mitchell was a game changer for GCU with 40 assists and six kills, while the outside hitting pair of junior Yeny Murillo and senior Melody Horton were in double digits for kills with 13 and 11, respectively.

Junior opposite Sarah Hagge added eight, while freshman middle blocker Hannah Eskes had seven and sophomore middle blocker Annabelle Kubinski had six.

Eskes added four blocks on the game, while Mitchell had three.

A slow start for the Lopes in the first set gave way to a 17-11 UC Riverside lead, but GCU battled back to tie the game, 25-25. The Highlanders (3-5) used two straight points to come out on top of the first set in extra points, 27-25.

GCU set into its groove in the second set with a 13-2 run from a 12-9 lead to claim it in dominating fashion, 25-11.

Set three proved to be more challenging, as the pair was tied, 8-8. GCU used a 6-0 run for a 14-8 lead, but the Highlanders pushed back against GCU. The Lopes held on and closed out a 25-21 win with a Mitchell kill.

With the Lopes down 10-6 in the fourth set, a 4-0 run tied the game and a second 4-0 run gave GCU a 15-13 lead later. The Highlanders went up by as many as three late in the set, 23-20, but the Lopes came back to win in extra points, 27-25.