Lopes sweep twice on season-opening day

Friday, August 27

Moscow, Idaho

12:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

1-0,0-0WAC

Eastern Washington

0-1,0-0Big Sky

Grand Canyon

Eastern Wash.

Photo by: Idaho Athletics

8/27/2021 2:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

DeFalco becomes Lopes' Division I-era career digs record holder

By: Kellie Reynolds

MOSCOW, Idaho – The Grand Canyon volleyball team (2-0) opened the 2021 season at the Idaho Volleyball Classic with back-to-back, three-set sweeps over Eastern Washington and Nevada on Friday.

Wise debut leads season's 1st win

GCU opened the season with a 25-17, 25-23, 26-24 against Eastern Washington with freshman outside hitter McKenzie Wise recording a team-high 12 kills in her collegiate debut. Lopes junior middle blocker Hannah Eskes boosted the Lopes with 10 kills, four blocks and two aces while junior setter Klaire Mitchell tallied 34 assists.

Eastern Washington led 5-3 in the first set before Mitchell found sophomore outside hitter Ashley Lifrgen and junior Hannah Eskes followed with a service ace to tie the set at 5-5. The Lopes went on a four-point run, highlighted by two kills from Wise for a 12-8 lead. GCU went on another four-point run at the end of the set, when Mitchell found senior middle blocker and Annabelle Kubinski and Lifgren for a kill each. The Lopes took the opening set after Wise collected her fifth kill.

GCU started in a 14-9 hole in the second set before a five-point run was highlighted by three kills and a block between Eskes and Wise to tie the set. With the score tied at 23-23, Mitchell found pin hitters Wise and freshman Sydney Reed for back-to-back kills that gave the Lopes a 2-0 match lead over the Eagles.

In the final set, GCU got things going with a 6-4 lead. Eastern Washington did not make it easy on the Lopes, tying the score at 23-23 and 24-24 to force extra points. The Lopes were the first to 25, as sophomore setter Ava Mason found Eskes for the kill before an Eagles ball-handling error gave the Lopes a season-opening sweep.

DeFalco sets record in day's 2nd win

In GCU's second match on Friday, graduate libero Teagan DeFalco followed her 15-dig opener with 10 more digs in a sweep of Nevada to set the program's Division I-era record for career digs.

"Today has been one of my fondest memories being apart of this team," said DeFalco. "Yes, awards and winning feel great, but to be surrounded by girls that are genuinely such incredible people is what makes it worth it. I am really thankful to be able to play with this team and watch the program grow so much since I first stepped onto campus in 2017."

The Lopes downed Nevada 25-12, 25-21, 25-14 with double-digit kill performances again from Wise (11) and Eskes (10) and four blocks from Kubinski.

GCU carried its momentum over from the opening match and took a 7-1 lead over the Wolf Pack. Three service aces in a row by sophomore libero Mia Goulart lifted the Lopes lead to 12-4. A four-point run was highlighted by Kubinski's and Eskes' back-to-back kills and back-to-back blocks by Kubinski and Wise pushed the lead to 22-7. Kubinski's kill off a Mason assist gave GCU the first set.

The Lopes started the second set with a 10-6 lead, as DeFalco and Eskes recorded back-to-back kills. In the middle of the set, DeFalco recorded her 1,344th career dig to become the Lopes' Division I-era leader in career digs.

The Lopes went on another four-point run to take a 10-point lead over the Wolf Pack at 23-13. Nevada fought back with a six-point run, closing the gap to 23-19 before a block by Eskes and Mason gave the Lopes the second set.

GCU continued the trend and took a 10-6 lead in the final set, when back-to-back points by Kubinski included a solo block and a kill. GCU went on a seven-point run to close out the third set, highlighted by three kills from Wise and two services aces by Mason.

GCU (2-0) will be back in action at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Saturday, when it takes on tournament host Idaho (0-1) in Memorial Gym.