No. 8 GCU drops 4 at Center of Effort Challenge

Friday, April 16

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UCLA

Photo by: Tech and Photo

4/17/2021 10:45:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

Lopes fall to No. 1 UCLA, No. 6 Cal Poly, No. 5 LMU, No. 2 USC

By: Sierra Smith

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The No. 8 Grand Canyon beach volleyball team came down to the wire in both matches on Friday but fell 3-2 against No. 1 UCLA and No. 6 Cal Poly. On Saturday, the Lopes lost two matches with a 4-1 loss against No. 5 LMU and 5-0 against No. 2 USC in the Center of Effort Challenge at Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex.

Lopes fall to top-ranked UCLA

The dual began with UCLA defeating senior Bella Bauman and junior Anaya Evans 21-18, 21-11 on Court 1.

The Bruins took a 2-0 lead after GCU's No. 5 pair of seniors Katie Sarber and Natalie Honzovicova lost 21-17, 21-16.

On Court 3, sophomore Madi Relaz and freshman Alina Randall put the Lopes on the board with a 21-18, 23-21 win.

The dual was clinched by UCLA on Court 2 with sophomore Teagan DeFalco and freshman Allison Hansen falling 21-16, 14-21, 12-15.

Freshman Allanis Navas and graduate student Paula Hoffmann continued their undefeated Court 4 record after winning 21-18, 19-21, 15-11.

GCU falls to No. 6 Cal Poly

The Mustangs' No. 1 pair defeated Bauman and Evans 21-17, 21-18 to take the early lead.

The next four courts went to a third set.

On Court 2, Defalco and Hansen forced a third set after falling 19-21 in the first set, then winning 21-17 in the second but falling 11-15 in the final set.

GCU's No. 5 pair Sarber and Honzovicova won the first set 21-17, dropped the second set 21-19 and battled back to win the third set 20-18.

Cal Poly clinched the dual after Relaz and Randall fell in a match 18-21, 21-12, 18-20 match on Court 4.

Navas and Hoffmann got the win on Court 3 after falling in the first set 18-21, then winning 22-20 and 24-22.

Lopes edged by No. 5 LMU

The Lions got the win on Court 5 to start the dual as Sarber and Honzovicova fell 14-21, 12-21.

On Court 3, Relaz and Jarzombek fell 15-21, 17-21 to put LMU ahead 2-0.

The match was clinched on Court 1 after Bauman and Evans lost 15-21, 19-21.

The only win for the Lopes came from the top No. 4 pair in the country with Navas and Hoffmann winning in straight sets 21-19, 21-17.

LMU's No. 2 pair secured the 4-1 win as DeFalco and Hansen dropped two tough sets 17-21, 25-27.

Lopes drop dual against No. 2 USC

On Court 5, Sarber and Honzovicova dropped two sets 21-15, 21-12 and DeFalco and Hansen lost 21-16, 21-18 on Court 2.

Hoffmann and Navas moved up to Court 3 but fell 16-21, 10-21, securing the dual win for the Trojans.

The Lopes' No. 1 pair of Bauman and Evans fought to extra points in the first set but lost 21-23 and 15-21.

It was a three-set battle on Court 4 as Jarzombek and Relaz fell 21-21, then won 21-12 to force the third set before losing 15-11.

This was the first sweep against the Lopes this season.

Up next, the Lopes are heading back to California for the third consecutive weekend to play in the Dartboard Classic at Stanford. GCU will play against No. 10 Cal, San Jose State, No. 5 Loyola Marymount and No. 11 Stanford.