No. 9 GCU takes 3-2 thriller at USC

Saturday, April 10

Los Angeles, Calif.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-10,6-10MPSF

USC

5-12,5-12MPSF

Grand Canyon

Southern California

Photo by: Mathew McGraw

4/10/2021 7:42:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Lopes go 2-0 against the Trojans on the road

By: Cassidy Mace

LOS ANGELES – The No. 9 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team picked up its second win of the weekend on Saturday over USC. The Lopes (6-10, 6-10 MPSF) took down the Trojans (5-12, 5-12 MPSF) in five sets to secure their spot as the No. 4 seed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship Tournament.

Sophomore outside hitter Christian Janke led the team with 18 kills in the match, also picking up eight digs, three blocks and one ace. Sophomore middle blocker Kyle Thompson finished the match with a .588 hitting percentage, getting 11 kills on 17 attacks with only one error.

GCU went to extra points with USC in set one, taking down the Trojans 33-31. A three-point run with a kill from sophomore outside hitter Christian Janke and a double block from sophomore setter Heath Hughes and senior middle Ian McLain gave the Lopes an early lead at 7-4. USC took back the lead with their own five-point run, going up 10-9. The Trojans stayed just ahead of the Lopes, leading 15-14 at the media timeout. Hughes came out of the timeout with a kill to tie it up and Janke gave GCU the lead with a solo block. USC put up back-to-back kills to force the GCU timeout trailing 21-19. Janke kept the Lopes in the set with a kill, but the Lopes called another timeout when the Trojans went up 23-20. A kill from McLain and a USC error brought the Lopes within one, and two more errors from the Trojans tied it up at 24-24. Sophomore opposite Hugo Fischer got a kill to even the set at 25-25 and Janke gave GCU the lead with another kill. The teams went back and forth in extra points until a kill from senior outside Trevor Weary and two USC errors gave the Lopes the set win, 33-31.

The Lopes kicked off the second set with a 12-8 lead over the Trojans thanks to two kills from Janke, two from Fischer and one from sophomore middle Kyle Thompson. A three-point USC run put the Trojans within one at 12-11. The Lopes held onto their lead, up 15-12 at the media timeout. The teams went point-for-point until back-to-back kills from Janke and McLain put the Lopes ahead 22-18, forcing the USC timeout. GCU finished the set with a three-point run, Janke recording two kills before closing the set with a solo block to take set two 25-18.

GCU had another early lead in set three, going up 9-6 after a three-point run. USC had its own run to take the lead at 11-10. Fischer picked up a kill and a solo block to pull ahead 12-11, but a three-point USC run put the Trojans ahead 16-14. The Lopes went point-for-point with the Trojans to trail 22-21, and two straight points from USC forced a GCU timeout. Janke picked up one more kill, but the Trojans took the set 25-22.

The Trojans used the momentum from their set three win to pull ahead 9-6 early in set four, forcing the GCU timeout. The Lopes stayed within three point until a five-point Trojan run set GCU back 20-12. Fischer picked up a kill for GCU to trail 20-14, but the Lopes were unable to get back in the set, falling 25-17.

GCU pulled it together for a 15-11 win in set five to take the match. After USC took a 2-0 lead, the Lopes went up 4-2 with a kill from Janke, a double block from McLain and Hughes, and two USC errors. The Trojans responded with their own four-point run, leading 6-4. Fischer and McLain tied it up at 7-7- with a block, but a GCU service error put USC up 8-7 going into the media timeout. The Lopes retook the lead at 11-9 with a four-point run featuring kills from Fischer and Thompson and two blocks from Thompson and Weary. Thompson picked up two more kills and Fischer recorded an ace to lead 14-10. USC called timeout, but a Trojan service error gave the Lopes the 15-11 set win.

GCU returns home to take on Concordia on Friday and Saturday in the final matches of the regular season.