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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Taflinger changes role, look of sizzling Lopes
11/16/2022 8:57:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
Outside hitter became libero before streak of 6 sweeps began
There are hardly any women's volleyball teams in the nation that are hotter than Grand Canyon entering the postseason.
GCU begins the WAC Tournament on Thursday morning with six consecutive sweep victories, a streak that is only topped by top-25 teams San Diego (13), Creighton (eight) and Houston (seven).
The Lopes' success shift all began with a coaching staff's look at the metrics, a graduate transfer's willingness to play a new position and a home loss.
"Don't freak out, but we're going to try something," GCU head coach Tim Nollan told one of his starting outside hitters, Megan Taflinger, in preparation for an Oct. 20 home match against WAC leader UT Rio Grande Valley.
The Lopes lost that game, but they showed that they had something by playing the conference frontrunner even in points for the match. Putting their best passer, Taflinger, in a libero jersey for the first time in her career — with about a month left in it — was the move that complemented improving team health for a late-season tear.
"I said that I would do whatever's best for the team," said Taflinger, a fixture at the pins with a career of 860 kills between Wichita State and GCU. "If that was going to help us win, I was willing to make the move. And it's working."
Taflinger, who still practices at outside hitter, is averaging 4.2 digs per set as the Lopes have run off six consecutive sweep victories entering a WAC Tournament first-round match against New Mexico State on Thursday morning (9 a.m. Phoenix time).
She has not made a receiving error during that sweep streak, the Lopes' longest since 1999, and her top-notch passing has put GCU in system more often. The team's top three hitting percentages of the season have come in the past five matches.
Being part of this in-season turnaround is icing for Taflinger, who already was having a fulfilling experience just by being part of the GCU program.
Taflinger's final season at Wichita State ended with an ankle injury and a desire to finish her collegiate career elsewhere. She pursued a transfer to GCU for last season but was not able to be a graduate transfer yet.
After missing some of the previous season for injury, Taflinger sat out the 2021 college season while she finished a biomedical engineering degree and then transferred to play her final season at GCU this fall.
It has not just been rewarding for her. Her parents, Brad and Lynn, were only able to come to Wichita, Kansas, for a game once a season from north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. They have made it to all of her home matches at GCU, where they walked with her on her first opportunity to have a Senior Day last week.
"I couldn't have asked for a better experience," Taflinger said. "This is the senior season that I always wanted."
GCU begins the WAC Tournament on Thursday morning with six consecutive sweep victories, a streak that is only topped by top-25 teams San Diego (13), Creighton (eight) and Houston (seven).The Lopes' success shift all began with a coaching staff's look at the metrics, a graduate transfer's willingness to play a new position and a home loss.
"Don't freak out, but we're going to try something," GCU head coach Tim Nollan told one of his starting outside hitters, Megan Taflinger, in preparation for an Oct. 20 home match against WAC leader UT Rio Grande Valley.
The Lopes lost that game, but they showed that they had something by playing the conference frontrunner even in points for the match. Putting their best passer, Taflinger, in a libero jersey for the first time in her career — with about a month left in it — was the move that complemented improving team health for a late-season tear.
"I said that I would do whatever's best for the team," said Taflinger, a fixture at the pins with a career of 860 kills between Wichita State and GCU. "If that was going to help us win, I was willing to make the move. And it's working."
Taflinger, who still practices at outside hitter, is averaging 4.2 digs per set as the Lopes have run off six consecutive sweep victories entering a WAC Tournament first-round match against New Mexico State on Thursday morning (9 a.m. Phoenix time).
She has not made a receiving error during that sweep streak, the Lopes' longest since 1999, and her top-notch passing has put GCU in system more often. The team's top three hitting percentages of the season have come in the past five matches.
Being part of this in-season turnaround is icing for Taflinger, who already was having a fulfilling experience just by being part of the GCU program.
Taflinger's final season at Wichita State ended with an ankle injury and a desire to finish her collegiate career elsewhere. She pursued a transfer to GCU for last season but was not able to be a graduate transfer yet.
After missing some of the previous season for injury, Taflinger sat out the 2021 college season while she finished a biomedical engineering degree and then transferred to play her final season at GCU this fall.
It has not just been rewarding for her. Her parents, Brad and Lynn, were only able to come to Wichita, Kansas, for a game once a season from north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. They have made it to all of her home matches at GCU, where they walked with her on her first opportunity to have a Senior Day last week.
"I couldn't have asked for a better experience," Taflinger said. "This is the senior season that I always wanted."
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