Mitchell joins 3,000-assist club

Thursday, October 20

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-9,4-4WAC

UT Rio Grande Valley

18-4,7-0WAC

UTRGV

Grand Canyon

10/20/2022 10:28:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

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GCU pushes WAC frontrunner UTRGV in 4-set defeat

By: Paul Coro

With her usual pairing of agility and athleticism, Grand Canyon setter Klaire Mitchell instinctively moved her back to the net to read the serve receive, gracefully slid under the ball and lofted the ball with her fingertips' touch and a knee raised to the outside hitter for a kill.

It was the execution GCU volleyball has seen 3,000 times from Mitchell, who lifts balls into position for points like she has the program for improvements.

The Lopes showed that in-season progress Thursday night in a tight four-set loss to WAC leader UT Rio Grande Valley, but even an upset would not have been as momentous as Mitchell joining the 3,000-assist club.

In her 300th career set, the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, native became only the 14th active Division I player with 3,000 assists and a career average of 10 assists per set. At 5 feet 7, she is the shortest of the select group.

Klaire Mitchell

Mitchell knew the milestone in the moment because play was stopped to acknowledge the feat at GCU Arena. But she did not know what to think earlier Thursday when a familiar campus employee said, "You ready for 3,000?"

"I said, 'What?' " Mitchell said. "I just stared at him for a couple seconds and was like, 'Year 3000?' "

GCU's bright future came quickly upon Mitchell's arrival under head coach Tim Nollan in 2019. In four seasons before Mitchell, the Lopes went 32-77. In four seasons with Mitchell, GCU is 64-26.

"Klaire's one of those franchise players that you don't get too many of your career to coach," Nollan said "I'm just extremely grateful and proud to be able to help guide her and mentor her on her journey and watch her grow. The great thing about her is she's the first to deflect it and compliment her teammates. She's always the first to ask to watch film and spend more time in the gym. But she's not done."

That was evident Thursday night, when she helped GCU (10-9, 4-4 WAC) outscore UT Rio Grande Valley (18-4, 7-0 WAC) despite the Vaqueros prevailing 25-21, 25-23, 17-25, 26-24.

Despite taking a 6-2 lead in the first set and a 7-2 lead in the second set, the Lopes needed to fight out of a 2-0 match hole and responded with .406 hitting in the third set. Lopes senior middle blocker Hannah Estes keyed a 7-0 run with a block and two kills consecutively before sophomore outside hitter McKenzie Wise's ace and a Mitchell block.

Phoenix, AZ Oct. 20,, 2022: Grand Canyon falls 3-1 to UTRGV at GCU Arena.

Phoenix, AZ Oct. 20,, 2022: Grand Canyon falls 3-1 to UTRGV at GCU Arena.

Freshman outside hitter Tatum Parrott scored the final three GCU points of the 25-17 set on her way to a team-high 22 kills, one off the Phoenix Greenway High School graduate's season high. Parrott added 12 digs, matching her second-best total of the season.

"It felt like we were all in rhythm," said Mitchell, who recorded 42 assists, 13 digs and five blocks. "The tempo of the game was back. We were able to volley more rallies with cleaner routes. There was more of a rhythm, rather than chaotic."

GCU never led in the fourth set until freshman Tatum Thomas, playing defensive specialist, delivered an ace for a 16-15 lead. The Lopes stretched the margin to 20-16 with two more Parrott kills and a kill and a block from Estes.

But UTRGV, which has not lost since Sept. 19, scored 10 of the match's final 14 points to notch its seventh consecutive win.

The Lopes were on the verge of forcing a fifth set, but two errors ended the comeback.

"We played good volleyball tonight," Nollan said. "That was a well-played match. It's tough to lose those two deuce sets. If they're the top team in the league, and they are right now, I think we're going in the right direction. We're getting ready to challenge for that tournament."

The match marked the first extended time of the season for graduate middle blocker Annabelle Kubinski, who hit .500 with six kills.

It also was a first for the lineup, which put graduate outside hitter Megan Taflinger at libero to capitalize on her team-best service reception. She posted 17 digs with two receiving errors.

After testing UTRGV, GCU will play at home again at 3 p.m. Saturday in a critical conference standings match against New Mexico State (12-7, 4-3 WAC).