Quick turnaround pits Lopes, Aggies again


Grand Canyon Lopes (11-4, 3-3 WAC)	vs	New Mexico State Aggies (14-4, 5-1 WAC)
		Saturday, Oct. 16 6 p.m.
GCU game notes NMSU game notes		Live stats Live video

Grand Canyon hosts New Mexico State after playing the Aggies just two days ago in Las Cruces, New Mexico. On Thursday night, the Lopes won the opening set but then dropped the following three to fall at NMSU. The Lopes' only win against the Aggies happened in Phoenix in 2014.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

RPI: The Lopes have the fourth-highest RPI in the WAC, as they are ranked 117th behind Utah Valley (110), Sam Houston (79) and Stephen F. Austin (73).
NATIONALLY RANKED: Graduate student libero Teagan DeFalco is 24th in the nation and first in the WAC for digs per set with 5.06.
WAC STANDINGS: After falling to the Aggies on Thursday night, the Lopes drop to third place in the West Division while NMSU has sole control of first place.

SCOUTING

New Mexico State comes into the Saturday match with a 14-4 overall record and a 5-1 WAC record. The Aggies and Lopes both competed against UTEP and Western Carolina in nonconference play with both teams sweeping WCU. However, New Mexico State lost to UTEP in five sets while the Lopes defeated the Miners in four sets. The Aggies' only loss in WAC play comes from California Baptist, a match in which the Lancers took New Mexico State to five sets and pulled out the win. New Mexico State put four players on the Preseason All-WAC team: Carly Aigner-Swesey, Victoria Barrett, Shaney Lipscomb and Lia Mosher.

Mosher, a senior middle blocker, leads the WAC in hitting percentage at .460. She is third in kills for NMSU with 134 and averages 2.06 kills per set. Mosher is also the Aggies' top blocker with 11 solos, 45 total and an average of 0.69 per set.

Lipscomb, a senior opposite hitter, has a team-best 194 kills with 2.98 kills per set and a hitting percentage of .327. Aigner-Swesey, a senior setter, has a team-best 466 assists. She is averaging 7.17 assist per set. The California native is also second in aces with 16 and averages 0.25 per set. Sophomore libero Darian Markham has 232 digs this season with an average of 4.46 per set. In 224 receptions, Markham has a .969 reception percentage.

New Mexico State hosted the Lopes in the Pan American Center in a battle for first place in the WAC's West Division. GCU won the opening set, but NMSU took the following three sets. The Aggies dominated the Lopes on the service line, as they recorded 10 aces to the Lopes' three. NMSUs had the upper hand in every stat except blocks, where GCU led 7-5.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes host Sam Houston on Thursday in GCU Arena at 6 p.m. for Jr. Lopes Night.

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Players Mentioned

Teagan DeFalco

Grand Canyon University Athletics