GCU hosts pair of top-10 matchups

Friday, February 21

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UCLA

Buy Tickets

2/20/2020 3:50:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Match Notes

Lopes take on No. 8 UCLA, No. 6 Pepperdine at GCU Arena

By: Cassidy Mace


Grand Canyon Lopes (10-3, 2-1 MPSF)	vs	UCLA Bruins (7-5, 2-2 MPSF)	Pepperdine Waves (6-3, 3-1 MPSF)
		Friday, Feb. 21 6 p.m. GCU Arena	Sunday, Feb. 23 2 p.m. GCU Arena
Match Notes		Live Video Live Stats	Live Video Live Stats

The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team hosts two top-10 opponents this weekend at GCU Arena. The Lopes take on No. 8 UCLA on Friday at 6 p.m. before facing No. 6 Pepperdine on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Both matches will broadcast live on GCUTV.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

PUTTING UP STATS: GCU ranks in the top 10 nationally in five statistical categories. The Lopes are third in aces per set (1.88), sixth in assists per set (11.98) and seventh in hitting percentage (.316), kills per set (12.98) and winning percentage (.769).
RANKED: The Lopes broke into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 15 Poll for the first time this season on Monday. GCU entered the rankings at No. 13.
SOPHOMORE STANDOUTS: Two GCU sophomores earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Offensive Player of the Week honors. Christian Janke received the award on Feb. 3 after a 2-0 home weekend, when the Lopes took down No. 9 Stanford. Opposite Hugo Fischer was named MPSF Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after an errorless game at USC.

SCOUTING

No. 8 UCLA is 7-6 this season, boasting three wins against opponents currently ranked in the top 15. The Bruins are ranked in the top 10 nationally in two categories: first in aces per set (2.00) and sixth in hitting percentage (.317). Freshman setter Mads Kyed Jensen ranks third nationally in aces per set at .652 and leads the team in assists per set at 7.54. Offensively, freshman outside hitter/opposite Cole Ketrzynski leads the team in attacks per set (6.76), hitting percentage (.278), kills per set (3.17) and points per set (3.56).

The Lopes fell to the Bruins in four sets during their last meeting on March 31.

Pepperdine is tied for sixth in the AVCA Coaches Poll with a 6-3 record. The Waves rank in the top 15 nationally in four categories: seventh in blocks per set (2.429), 13th in winning percentage (.667) and 15th in assists per set (11.31) and hitting percentage (.286). Freshman opposite Jacob Steele leads Pepperdine in kills with 99 this season, averaging 2.91 per set. Junior middle blocker Austin Wilmot ranks fifth nationally in hitting percentage at .456 this season. The Waves are 3-1 in the MPSF with wins over Stanford, Concordia Irvine and USC and are set to play UC Santa Barbara on the road on Friday before facing the Lopes

GCU dropped its last match against Pepperdine in three sets on March 29 on the road.