Lopes fall in 1st of 3 at Pepperdine

Friday, March 26

Malibu, Calif.

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Pepperdine

Photo by: Mathew McGraw

3/26/2021 4:36:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

GCU drops opening weekend match to Waves

By: Cassidy Mace

MALIBU, Calif. – Grand Canyon men's volleyball played three close sets Friday with No. 5 Pepperdine, which won 25-22, 25-20, 25-21. The No. 9 Lopes (4-6, 4-6 MPSF) kept every set within five points but were unable to take the lead against the Waves (9-5, 9-5 MPSF).

Junior opposite Hugo Fischer led the Lopes with 13 kills, also picking up five digs and a block. GCU senior outside David Kisiel came off the bench impressively to deliver nine kills, two digs, one block and one assist.

Lopes freshman outside hitter Camden Gianni opened the match with two aces, kicking off a 5-1 run. Pepperdine battled back to lead 10-9, but Gianni evened the set with a kill. GCU retook the lead at 13-12, thanks to a kill from sophomore outside hitter Christian Janke and an ace from senior middle blocker Ian McClain. A three-point run gave Pepperdine a 15-13 lead at the media timeout.

The Waves extended their lead to go up 21-16 before a 4-1 GCU run closed the gap to two. Pepperdine closed out the 25-22 set despite Fischer's four kills and Gianni and McClain each adding three kills.

GCU started the second set with two points, but a 7-1 Pepperdine run forced the Lopes to call time out. Gianni emerged with a kill and the teams traded kills for eight straight points for an 11-7 Waves lead. The Lopes scored three straight with kills from sophomore middle Kyle Thompson and Kisiel to cut the Waves lead to 11-10.

Pepperdine held the lead, but Fischer picked up back-to-back kills to trail 16-14. Kisiel recorded two kills to cut the lead to 21-19, but back-to-back points from the Waves forced a GCU timeout and Pepperdine went on to win 25-20. Kisiel and Fischer each recorded five kills in the second set, giving Fischer nine for the match.

Gianni started the third set with his third ace as GCU took a 6-5 lead. A five-point Pepperdine run forced the Lopes to call time out, trailing 10-6. Gianni and Kisiel picked up a kill apiece to put GCU back within two, and another kill from Kisiel plus a combination block from Thompson and senior setter Onur Cukur trimmed the lead to 13-12.

The Lopes stayed within one with kills from Kisiel, Fischer, McLain and Thompson and tied the score at 19-19 with a triple block from Thompson, Cukur and Kisiel. Pepperdine called time out and went on a three-point run, forcing a GCU timeout. Kisiel put one more kill on the board before the Waves took the third set 25-21.

GCU takes on Pepperdine two more times this weekend, playing the Waves at 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.