Lopes take Waves to 5 sets in Malibu

Saturday, March 27

Malibu, Calif.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-7, 4-7MPSF

Pepperdine

10-5, 10-5MPSF

Grand Canyon

Pepperdine

Photo by: Mathew McGraw

3/27/2021 7:29:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

No. 9 GCU falls to No. 5 Pepperdine in 2nd meeting

By: Cassidy Mace

MALIBU, Calif – Grand Canyon men's volleyball fell to No. 5 Pepperdine on the road in five sets on Friday. The No. 9 Lopes (4-7, 4-7 MPSF) played their second five-set match of the season in the second of three weekend matches against the Waves (10-5, 10-5 MPSF). The Lopes battled in four close sets, going to extra points in the third set, before Pepperdine won 25-20, 21-25, 30-28, 21-25, 15-4.

Sophomore outside hitter Christian Janke led GCU with a season-high 17 kills, hitting an impressive .400 as well as recording seven digs, two aces and a block. Junior opposite Hugo Fischer also hit in the double digits with 14 kills, picking up 10 digs, three blocks and two aces.

The Lopes got off to a slow start in the first set, going down 7-2. GCU battled to string two points together with a kill from senior middle Ian McLain and a triple block by Fischer, Janke and sophomore middle Kyle Thompson to trail at 16-11. The Lopes got their first three-point run with a Camden Gianni kill, Thompson ace and a double block by McLain and sophomore setter Heath Hughes down 21-16, and two more points cut the Waves lead to four at 22-18. Despite an increase in energy late in the set for GCU, Pepperdine got the win at 25-20.

GCU had a better start in the second set, leading 6-2 thanks to two kills from Fischer, one from Janke and one from Gianni, as well as a double block from Thompson and Gianni. Pepperdine fought back, but the Lopes held onto the lead until the Waves tied it at 16-16. Janke went on a three-point run for the Lopes, putting up a kill and back-to-back aces to lead 21-17. Junior setter Tanner Petchul got a service ace to extend the lead at 23-18. Gianni and Thompson picked up one more kill apiece to win 25-21 and tie the match at 1-1.

Pepperdine pulled ahead 14-6 in the third set before GCU responded with a 7-1 run, thanks to two kills from Janke, a kill and a block from Fischer and an ace from senior outside David Kisiel. The teams evened at 18-18. Another tie at 20-20 triggered a quick Pepperdine three point run to lead 23-20, and the Waves were close to a set win at 24-21 before three straight points from the Lopes evened it out at 24-24, thanks to kills from Janke and McLain. In extra points, another set of kills from Janke and McLain gave the Lopes their first chance at set point leading 27-26, but Pepperdine pulled ahead and took the set 30-28.

The Lopes came out early with an 11-5 lead in the fourth set, holding on to lead 15-11 thanks to two kills from Janke, one from McLain and one from Kisiel. It was a close battle with GCU leading 19-18, then pulling ahead to 21-18 thanks to two Pepperdine errors. After two points from the Waves, a three-point GCU run with a kill from Thompson and an ace from Fischer put the Lopes up 24-10. A Pepperdine service error gave GCU the set win at 25-21 to send the match into a fifth set.

Pepperdine started the final set with a 4-1 lead, forcing a GCU timeout. Kisiel picked up his sixth kill of the match, but Pepperdine extended its lead to 9-2 to prompt another Lopes timeout. Fischer came out of the timeout with a kill, and a Waves service error put GCU within six. Pepperdine finished the set on a 6-1 run to win the set and the match.

The Lopes take on the Waves in the final match of the series on Sunday at 5 p.m.