Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Mathew McGraw
2021 brings top-ranked opponents
1/7/2021 12:38:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Lopes set to face 5 top-15 opponents this season
Grand Canyon men's volleyball announced its 2021 schedule on Thursday, featuring five top-15 opponents in the conference-only slate. The schedule announcement comes days after the Lopes earned their highest preseason ranking in program history, debuting at No. 10 in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II preseason poll.
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation decided to have a conference-only schedule for 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The No. 10 Lopes are set to play each MPSF team three times instead of the traditional two matches (with two exceptions), creating a total of 15 matches against ranked opponents. The unique schedule also allows GCU to take on No. 1 BYU four times in the regular season.
"Finally!" Lopes head coach Matt Werle said. "The process to configure a schedule has not been an easy one, but we as head coaches, are relieved it is over. The MPSF will be a battleground all year long with six of the seven teams ranked in the NVA/AVCA Top 15 preseason poll. The talent within the MPSF is remarkable. We will become all too familiar with each team due to playing everyone three times, excluding Stanford (two matches) and BYU (four matches)."
The Lopes kick off the season in California to take on No. 9 UCLA on Jan. 29 and No. 12 Concordia Irvine on Jan. 30.
Returning home, GCU takes on its only unranked opponent, USC, on Feb. 6 in GCU Arena. Two more home matches against Concordia Irvine follow on Feb. 12-13.
GCU faces one of the biggest tests of the season in four straight matches against No. 1 BYU. First, the Lopes will travel to Provo, Utah, to take on the Cougars at Smith Fieldhouse on Feb. 18 and 20 before returning to GCU Arena for matches against BYU on Feb. 25 and 27.
The Lopes are on the road for all of March, facing No. 15 Stanford on March 19-20 and No. 7 Pepperdine on March 26-28.
Finishing off the home schedule, GCU plays No. 9 UCLA on April 2-3. The Lopes close out the season on the road at USC on April 9-10.
"I truly hope seeing each team more than a typical season will create a very healthy competition between opponents," Werle said. "We need to come together as a conference and do our best to create the safest environment for everyone. I know our guys want to be on the court and will do everything necessary to help keep the season rolling along."
Click here to view the full schedule and follow the Lopes on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_MVolleyball for updates.
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation decided to have a conference-only schedule for 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The No. 10 Lopes are set to play each MPSF team three times instead of the traditional two matches (with two exceptions), creating a total of 15 matches against ranked opponents. The unique schedule also allows GCU to take on No. 1 BYU four times in the regular season.
"Finally!" Lopes head coach Matt Werle said. "The process to configure a schedule has not been an easy one, but we as head coaches, are relieved it is over. The MPSF will be a battleground all year long with six of the seven teams ranked in the NVA/AVCA Top 15 preseason poll. The talent within the MPSF is remarkable. We will become all too familiar with each team due to playing everyone three times, excluding Stanford (two matches) and BYU (four matches)."
The Lopes kick off the season in California to take on No. 9 UCLA on Jan. 29 and No. 12 Concordia Irvine on Jan. 30.
Returning home, GCU takes on its only unranked opponent, USC, on Feb. 6 in GCU Arena. Two more home matches against Concordia Irvine follow on Feb. 12-13.
GCU faces one of the biggest tests of the season in four straight matches against No. 1 BYU. First, the Lopes will travel to Provo, Utah, to take on the Cougars at Smith Fieldhouse on Feb. 18 and 20 before returning to GCU Arena for matches against BYU on Feb. 25 and 27.
The Lopes are on the road for all of March, facing No. 15 Stanford on March 19-20 and No. 7 Pepperdine on March 26-28.
Finishing off the home schedule, GCU plays No. 9 UCLA on April 2-3. The Lopes close out the season on the road at USC on April 9-10.
"I truly hope seeing each team more than a typical season will create a very healthy competition between opponents," Werle said. "We need to come together as a conference and do our best to create the safest environment for everyone. I know our guys want to be on the court and will do everything necessary to help keep the season rolling along."
Click here to view the full schedule and follow the Lopes on Twitter and Instagram at @GCU_MVolleyball for updates.
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