Lopes drop final regular-season match

Tuesday, March 23

Orem, Utah

11:00 a.m.

Grand Canyon

11-3,11-3WAC

Utah Valley

12-5,12-4WAC

Grand Canyon

Utah Valley

Photo by: Mathew McGraw

3/23/2021 1:01:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

GCU, UVU slated to meet again in WAC Tournament semifinal

By: Kellie Reynolds

OREM, Utah – The Grand Canyon volleyball team closed out the regular season with a Tuesday loss at Utah Valley, which the Lopes will face again next week in a WAC Tournament semifinal at UVU.

"Today our middles played well. We just could not get anything going on the pins," said Lopes head coach Tim Nollan." We rested Klaire Mitchell and Ashley Lifgren today with the number two seed in the tournament locked up."

Utah Valley pulled away to a 10-4 lead in the first set before GCU freshman setter Ava Mason found middle blocker Kaira Moss and outside hitter Yeny Murillo for back-to-back kills. A block from Mason and middle blocker Hannah Eskes pulled the Lopes within three. GCU chipped away and managed a four-point run, as Moss and Eskes had back-to-back kills and senior libero K.J. Adams served back-to-back service aces to get the Lopes within one. The Lopes fought off two set points but the Wolverines won 25-22.

GCU went down 10-4 again in the second set. The Lopes managed a few runs but were not able to close the gap enough, as UVU took the second set 25-17.

GCU showed fight in the third and final set to hang for the first half of the set. A kill by Moss cut the Wolverines lead to 17-14, but it was not enough to edge the UVU momentum as it took the final set 25-17.

"We get to go home now and rest and train for a solid 10 days before we come back to Orem and play them again in the conference semifinal match," said Nollan.

GCU will be back in action on April 2 when it competes in a WAC Tournament semifinal as the No. 2 seed against No. 3 seed and host Utah Valley at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time).