DeFalco, Matthews bid farewell to GCU Arena

Thursday, November 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-6,9-5WAC

Chicago State

17-8,9-4WAC

Chicago St.

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Taylor Hansen

11/11/2021 10:10:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Lopes take loss to Chicago State on Senior Night for energetic duo

By: Paul Coro

Another successful season in the rise of the Grand Canyon women's volleyball program did not end with Thursday night's regular-season finale at GCU Arena.

Even with the nation's fifth-longest home winning streak snapping at 20 matches, the careers of seniors Teagan DeFalco and Kayla Matthews are not over.

GCU will move past the three-set loss to Chicago State for next week's WAC Tournament in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but DeFalco and Matthews bid farewell to playing at home on Senior Night.

DeFalco ushers program growth

Before she started recording 1,759 career digs and 101 career aces, DeFalco changed the GCU program by choosing it. The Lopes won one conference game the year before DeFalco arrived from Long Beach, California.

At 5 feet 6, DeFalco played outside hitter as a freshman to fit the team needs. But her presence helped GCU head coach Tim Nollan continue to bring a higher level of player and put DeFalco's relentless effort at her natural position, libero.

Teagan DeFalco

The program has come a long way in her time, for more than leaving small crowds at Antelope Gymnasium to once playing in front of 7,111 fans at GCU Arena this season. DeFalco helped turn the Lopes into winners, who reflect her fire in going 17-6 this season.

"It's really nice to know that I am leaving an impact," DeFalco said. "In one way or another, I helped bring in some of these people. I helped to encourage girls to think they deserve the best and this is the best. It's nice to know that I am leaving a place better than what I came into."

DeFalco has been a dual volleyball force, also starring in the beach program and becoming a national team player on the sand. She will have more home matches on that part of campus and more matches with her indoor team next week, but she said it was "surreal" to play a final indoor home match.

"This team is different and I really love all the girls," DeFalco said. "Match aside, being next to them, having that experience, having them all hug me afterward, it's hard. This is my family away from my family. To see everybody grow throughout the season and the last five years, it's tough leaving this place. It hasn't hit me yet that this was my last time. I feel like I'll be back next year or in a few weeks or a few months. This has been my every weekend so it's tough."
Teagan DeFalco and Tim Nollan

DeFalco came to GCU in 2017 and has used the time well beyond volleyball. She graduated in psychology with an emphasis in sports psychology and minors in communication and counseling. She is working on a graduate degree in psychology with an emphasis in human factors.

"I definitely took a chance coming here and it was all because of the coaching staff," DeFalco said. "Mostly, Tim has helped me become more than just a volleyball player. He has supported me in being a human and he has supported me in being a young woman. I don't think that is anything that can be replaced.

"When you leave something behind, you don't remember the matches, the points, the stats. You remember the experiences. I have so many valuable memories coming from playing here and being supported by a coaching staff like this and being supported by a program."

Matthews makes it back

If the prognosis had been right, Kayla Matthews would not have had her on-court moment on Senior Night.

Since suffering a torn ACL in the first set of last season, Matthews was on a rehabilitation plan that projected to keep her out until December. She remained around the program, diligently working her way back while loyally support her team's success from missing every game but the opener last season to missing every game but the finale this season.

Matthew subbed after the first point of Thursday's match and took a serve, played seven points and entered the box score with two digs for the first time since Jan. 25.

"That moment meant everything to me," said Matthews, a hometown product from Phoenix's Sunnyslope High School. "I've been working my butt off. Without my team, I wouldn't even have been able to stand on the court today.

"For the last nine months (since surgery), it was just a dream just to be able to even get to stand next to the team on the sideline and dress out. The fact that I got to dress out and have my name announced was everything. All I've been working for, it was for my team. I've just honestly been trying to get back to them. My purpose was to give them strength, even if I wasn't able to provide it on the court."

Matthews did not expect to impact the program when she arrived in 2018, but she became a freshman starter at outside hitter. Before injuries sidelined her career, she delivered a 20-kill match, a 15-dig match, a 38-kill tournament and a WAC Player of the Week performance.

Kayla Matthews and Tim Nollan

"Being able to accomplish those things was a collective effort," Matthews said. "It was everybody trying to push me. This program has pushed me to be a better person overall and that's what correlated into me being a better player."

Matthews suffered her first knee injury as a sophomore and missed seven weeks before returning, only for an ankle injury to keep her out for another three weeks. COVID-19 delayed her junior year to January, when she suffered the season-ending knee injury in the first set of the season opener.

She committed to being "the best hype woman on the team" but also wrote in her journal about dreaming of suiting up for action again. That chance came Thursday night.

"I got to hold the game ball," Matthews said. "Just the little things like that. I've been out 10 months. Serving one ball, I was so excited. Dressing out and getting to feel part of this program again, that was 100% what I wanted."