GCU's hot streak ends in WAC semifinals

Friday, November 18

Edinburg, Texas

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-10,10-4WAC

Stephen F. Austin

25-4,11-3WAC

Grand Canyon

SFA

Photo by: Zach Campbell

11/18/2022 3:12:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score

Lopes drop 4-set match to SFA after winning 7 consecutive sweeps

By: Paul Coro

EDINBURG, Texas — The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team's torrid, monthlong run came to a screeching halt Friday with a WAC Tournament semifinal loss to Stephen F. Austin.

No. 3 seed GCU's streak of seven consecutive victories by sweep came to an end against No. 2 seed Stephen F. Austin, which won 25-23, 26-28, 25-20, 25-18 at UT Rio Grande Valley.

The Lopes (17-10) were led by senior setter Klaire Mitchell, who delivered 45 assists and matched her career high with 21 digs. GCU junior outside hitter Ashley Lifgren hit .241 to match a career high with 20 kills, which she set at last year's WAC Tournament against UTRGV. Lopes freshman outside hitter Tatum Parrott added 17 kills on .235 hitting with 16 digs.

"Hard to believe we were two points away from being up 2-0," Lopes head coach Tim Nollan said. "Give Stephen F. Ausitn a ton of credit. They served and attacked very well tonight."

The nation's third-longest active streak of sweeps came to an end in the first set despite GCU leading for most of the set. With Lifgren scoring four consecutive Lopes points early on kills, GCU took the lead and stretched it to as much as 13-19 on a block with Lifgren and senior middle blocker Annabelle Kubinski, who had three kills and three block assists in the first set.

Stephen F. Austin took its first lead since 5-4 at 20-19 and finished the set with sharp attacks, closing the set at .227 team hitting for a 1-0 match lead. It was GCU's first set loss since Oct. 20 against WAC regular-season champion UT Rio Grande Valley.

The Lopes bounced back in the second set, when neither team scored more than two points in a row until the Ladyjacks had a 5-0 run to go ahead 19-18.

A bump set from senior setter Klaire Mitchell to Lifgren spurred a 3-0 run, but Stephen F. Austin had a counterattack with four consecutive points to reach match point at 24-22.

GCU fought off two match points with a Lifgren kill and a Ladyjacks error and used three kills by Parrott to set up match point, which the Lopes took on an error to win the set 28-26 and even the match at 1-1. GCU had its best hitting set at .308 with Parrott getting six of her kills.

The Lopes carried the energy into a 4-1 start in the third set, but Stephen F. Austin wiped it out with five consecutive points. GCU did not lead against until freshman defensive specialist Tatum Thomas' ace made it 13-12 and against when Thomas assisted on a Parrott kill for a 17-16 lead. The Ladjacks hit .311 in the third set, when a 9-3 run ended a 25-20 set, putting Stephen F. Austin ahead 2-1 in the match.

With Lifgren kills accounting for three consecutive GCU points, the Lopes led 5-3 in an attempt to even the match in the fourth set. But after a 5-0 run, the Ladyjacks never trailed again as GCU hit .024 in the final set. Parrott's final kill trimmed the Stephen F. Austin lead to 21-18, but the Ladyjacks moved to the championship match by ending the set with four consecutive points.