No. 8 Lopes finish regular season

Sunday, April 25

Stanford, Calif.

9 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Loyola Marymount

Photo by: Sierra Smith

4/26/2021 8:25:00 AM | Beach Volleyball

Lopes await selection show for NCAA chance

By: Sierra Smith

The No. 8 Grand Canyon beach volleyball team's regular season came to an end Sunday at Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium. The Lopes' final two games of the Dartboard Classic ended in 5-0 losses against No. 5 Loyola Marymount and No. 11 Stanford, giving GCU a 2-2 tournament record.

There is still a possibility of qualifying for the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama, if the Lopes stay in the top eight of the AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Coaches Poll. The bracket will be announced on Sunday, May 2 at 4 p.m. (Phoenix time), after the completion of all conference tournaments.

Lopes fall to LMU

The dual began with senior Bella Bauman and junior Anaya Evans on Court 2 falling 11-21, 21-17, 13-15 and senior Taylor Jarzombek and sophomore Madi Relaz dropping the Court 4 match 16-21, 15-21.

Loyola Marymount clinched the dual after the Lopes' No. 5 pair of senior Katie Sarber and freshman Alina Randall lost 14-21, 16-21.

The Lions' lead moved to 4-0 after freshman Allanis Navas and graduate student Paula Hoffmann lost the tough battle on Court 3, 23-21, 26-28, 11-15.

Freshman Madison Banter made her collegiate debut in the starting lineup with freshman Allison Hansen on Court 1 against the Lions. They won the first set 21-15, then dropped the next two sets 11-21, 9-15.

GCU drops dual against Stanford

The Cardinal took the 1-0 lead with Jarzombek and Relaz losing 20-22, 15-21 on Court 4.

On Court 2, sophomore Teagan DeFalco and Hansen won the first set 21-16, then Stanford won 21-19 in the second set to force the third set, then the Cardinal won 15-9.

Stanford's No. 5 pair clinched the dual after Sarber and Randall fell 12-21, 12-21.

Navas and Hoffmann lost 19-21, 18-21 on Court 3.

The sweep was secured on Court 1 after the Lopes' top pair of Bauman and Evans fell 18-21, 13-21.

Season recap

This is the third 18-plus win season for head coach Kristen Rohr since she became head coach in 2016. The Lopes spent all but one week in the top 10 of the AVCA and Collegebeachvb.com polls.

GCU's Navas finished the season with 25 wins, making her the solo single-season leader in the Lopes record books with Hoffmann right behind her at 24 wins. The pair was named GCU's Newcomers of the Year and racked up an 18-0 record on Court 4 together to rank as the top 4s pair in the country.

Throughout the season, the Lopes picked up ranked wins over No. 20 Arizona State (twice), No. 10 TCU, No. 20 Tulane, No. 13 Arizona, No. 16 Long Beach State (twice) and No. 10 California.