Lopes accept invitation to CCSA

For the first time in the program's 11-year history, Grand Canyon beach volleyball will have a conference to call home this spring.

GCU officially accepted an invitation to the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association on Thursday. When the season begins in late February, the Lopes will form a six-team conference with existing members Florida State, LSU, Missouri State, South Carolina and TCU.

"We are so excited to join the CCSA and compete against some of the best teams in the country," said GCU head coach Kristen Rohr, who was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association's National Coach of the Year last season. "We believe this will continue to be one of the premier beach volleyball conferences nationally. GCU has worked very hard to get to this position, and we will continue to do our best to take advantage of this opportunity."

As an independent, GCU has gradually built a nationally competitive program and finished in the nation's top-10 poll in each of the last three seasons. The Lopes qualified for their first NCAA tournament in May as an at-large selection. GCU will now also have a conference automatic bid to chase in the CCSA.

"The rising national profile of GCU's beach volleyball program has led to this exciting opportunity to join a premier conference," GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. "We are thankful for the support of the university and campus community, the tireless work of Coach Rohr and her team, and the CCSA for this exciting opportunity to continue competing on a national stage."

The six members of the CCSA have collectively made 16 appearances in the six iterations of the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships, which were held for the first time in 2016. Florida State — which finished as the national runner-up last season — has claimed the CCSA Championship in all six opportunities. As at-large selections, LSU has appeared in the NCAA tournament five times, South Carolina has made three trips, TCU has appeared twice and GCU debuted last year.

"We are excited to announce the addition of Grand Canyon University to the CCSA," conference commissioner Jerome Rodgers said. "Our membership is committed to competing at the highest level in beach volleyball, and the Lopes fit that mold. Anytime you can add a top-10 ranked program to your conference, it's a great day!"

In addition to competing in a conference tournament for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the Lopes also will have the opportunity to claim all-conference accolades and weekly player honors for the first time in program history.

The last two CCSA Tournaments were conducted in Huntsville, Alabama, in late April.

Despite not holding a conference membership for the program's first decade, the Lopes compiled challenging schedules over the years and already competed against each of the other five CCSA members.

Beach volleyball is the final GCU program to settle into a conference. The Lopes athletics department features 19 programs that compete in the WAC, while men's volleyball competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Much like the MPSF, the CCSA operates as a conference with affiliate members for sports that are not widely sponsored by traditional conferences. The CCSA also sponsors a swimming and diving conference.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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