Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Texas A&M on August 28, 2026
Volleyball
at Texas A&M
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes earn 3 major WAC awards
11/17/2021 9:00:00 AM | Volleyball
DeFalco, Mitchell, Wise earn top conference honors
Four Grand Canyon women's volleyball players earned All-WAC honors, including WAC Setter of the Year for junior Klaire Mitchell , WAC Libero of the Year for graduate student Teagan DeFalco and WAC Freshman of the Year for outside hitter McKenzie Wise.
Mitchell won WAC Setter of the Year for the second straight season, as well as being named to the All-WAC first team with DeFalco. The Lopes (17-6) took WAC Libero of the Year for the second straight season as well.
GCU junior middle blocker Annabelle Kubinski and Wise were All-WAC second-team selections by the conference coaches. Wise also was named to the WAC All-Freshman Team.
Since head coach Tim Nollan took direction of the Lopes, they have won seven major awards, including two Setter of the Year awards, two Libero of the Year awards and three Freshman of the Year awards.
KLAIRE MITCHELL | WAC Setter of the Year | All-WAC first team
Mitchell earned her second WAC Setter of the Year and All-WAC first-team awards after leading the conference in assists for the second straight season.
The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, native holds the program's Division I-era assist record with 2,197 in just three seasons with the Lopes. Mitchell also broke the program's Division I-era record for assists in a four-set match with 60 assists against Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 23.
Additionally, Mitchell ranked first in the WAC and 49th nationally with 10.34 assists per set. She also proved to be an asset defensively, tallying 170 digs and averaging 2.60 digs per set. She recorded 16 digs at Chicago State.
TEAGAN DeFALCO | WAC Libero of the Year | All-WAC first team
The Long Beach, California, native is GCU's second WAC Libero of the Year since joining the conference in 2012.
After playing beach volleyball for GCU in the spring, DeFalco came back to the hardwood for her final season as a Lope and picked up right where she left off in 2019. The graduate student claimed GCU's Division I-era dig record with 1,749 career digs with the Lopes.
She also continued to put distance between herself and the rest of the record book for service aces, reaching 101 for her career. DeFalco ranks 19th in the nation and first in the WAC in digs per set 5.21 and is first in the WAC and 63rd nationally in service aces with 0.40 per set. She is also second in the WAC in digs with 427.
McKENZIE WISE | WAC Freshman of the Year | All-WAC second team | WAC All-Freshman Team
Wise earned GCU's third Freshman of the Year award, which Mitchell last won two seasons ago.
The Phoenix native also was named to the All-WAC second team and WAC All-Freshman Team after she led the Lopes in all offensive categories in her first season. The outside hitter had a team high in kills (264), kills per set (3.62), points (304) and points per set (4.16). Twice, Wise was posted a 20-plus kills in a match, including a season-high 23 in a win against Stephen F. Austin.
As a true freshman, the Northwest Christian High School graduate earned two WAC Freshman of the Week awards this season. Wise also proved herself defensively, as she was second on the team in digs with 170 and third in blocks with 28.
ANNABELLE KUBINSKI | All-WAC second team
Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kubinski claimed her second WAC postseason honor in four GCU seasons.
Succeeding offensively and defensively, Kubinski gathered 186 kills for the second most on the team this season. Her season-high 14 kills at New Mexico State was her best since August 2018 of her freshman season. She also led the Lopes in hitting percentage at .337. The middle blocker has totaled 792.5 points, ranking her third in the GCU Division-I era record book, and 628 kills, ranking her fourth. She also comes in third for blocks (213) and block assists (177) in her career.
This season, Kubinski was second on the Lopes with 53 blocks and 15 block solos.
For a complete list of WAC volleyball postseason honors, click here.
Mitchell won WAC Setter of the Year for the second straight season, as well as being named to the All-WAC first team with DeFalco. The Lopes (17-6) took WAC Libero of the Year for the second straight season as well.
GCU junior middle blocker Annabelle Kubinski and Wise were All-WAC second-team selections by the conference coaches. Wise also was named to the WAC All-Freshman Team.
Since head coach Tim Nollan took direction of the Lopes, they have won seven major awards, including two Setter of the Year awards, two Libero of the Year awards and three Freshman of the Year awards.
KLAIRE MITCHELL | WAC Setter of the Year | All-WAC first team
Mitchell earned her second WAC Setter of the Year and All-WAC first-team awards after leading the conference in assists for the second straight season.The Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, native holds the program's Division I-era assist record with 2,197 in just three seasons with the Lopes. Mitchell also broke the program's Division I-era record for assists in a four-set match with 60 assists against Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 23.
Additionally, Mitchell ranked first in the WAC and 49th nationally with 10.34 assists per set. She also proved to be an asset defensively, tallying 170 digs and averaging 2.60 digs per set. She recorded 16 digs at Chicago State.
TEAGAN DeFALCO | WAC Libero of the Year | All-WAC first team
The Long Beach, California, native is GCU's second WAC Libero of the Year since joining the conference in 2012.After playing beach volleyball for GCU in the spring, DeFalco came back to the hardwood for her final season as a Lope and picked up right where she left off in 2019. The graduate student claimed GCU's Division I-era dig record with 1,749 career digs with the Lopes.
She also continued to put distance between herself and the rest of the record book for service aces, reaching 101 for her career. DeFalco ranks 19th in the nation and first in the WAC in digs per set 5.21 and is first in the WAC and 63rd nationally in service aces with 0.40 per set. She is also second in the WAC in digs with 427.
McKENZIE WISE | WAC Freshman of the Year | All-WAC second team | WAC All-Freshman Team
Wise earned GCU's third Freshman of the Year award, which Mitchell last won two seasons ago.The Phoenix native also was named to the All-WAC second team and WAC All-Freshman Team after she led the Lopes in all offensive categories in her first season. The outside hitter had a team high in kills (264), kills per set (3.62), points (304) and points per set (4.16). Twice, Wise was posted a 20-plus kills in a match, including a season-high 23 in a win against Stephen F. Austin.
As a true freshman, the Northwest Christian High School graduate earned two WAC Freshman of the Week awards this season. Wise also proved herself defensively, as she was second on the team in digs with 170 and third in blocks with 28.
ANNABELLE KUBINSKI | All-WAC second team
Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kubinski claimed her second WAC postseason honor in four GCU seasons.Succeeding offensively and defensively, Kubinski gathered 186 kills for the second most on the team this season. Her season-high 14 kills at New Mexico State was her best since August 2018 of her freshman season. She also led the Lopes in hitting percentage at .337. The middle blocker has totaled 792.5 points, ranking her third in the GCU Division-I era record book, and 628 kills, ranking her fourth. She also comes in third for blocks (213) and block assists (177) in her career.
This season, Kubinski was second on the Lopes with 53 blocks and 15 block solos.
For a complete list of WAC volleyball postseason honors, click here.
Players Mentioned
L
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball"It would be really cool to beat my mom's record." - Aubrey Goodere | Volleyball
Tuesday, January 06
Bella Nunez | Women's Volleyball
Monday, November 10
Kendra Potts Post Match Press Conference | GCU vs NAU 9.7.25
Monday, September 08
“You don’t know what it’s like.” | The Lope-a-Palooza Experience
Saturday, August 30