Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, February 5
Romeoville, Ill.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
6-3
2
at
3
Lewis
6-2
1
2
3
4
5
F
Grand Canyon
24
25
23
25
10
2
LEWIS
26
19
25
20
15
3
Photo by: Skyler Coblentz
GCU drops 5-set marathon match
2/5/2022 9:11:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Gianni, Slight set career highs in close defeat
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The No. 8 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team had its four-match winning streak snapped in a 3-2 loss at No. 6 Lewis on Saturday night.
The Lopes (6-3) battled the Flyers (6-2) for nearly 2 1/2 hours in front of a packed Neil Carey Arena, which allowed fans for the first time this season. Lewis won 26-24, 19-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-10.
GCU was led by redshirt sophomore outside hitter Camden Gianni, who set a career high with 25 kills on .400 hitting while adding five blocks and four digs. Redshirt freshman setter Nicholas Slight set a new career high for the second straight match with 47 assists.
Down 4-2 in the first set, the Lopes scored the next seven points with two service aces by junior opposite Hugo Fischer and two kills from junior outside hitter Christian Ja6-24. nke to go up 9-4.
Later in the set, the Lopes knotted the score at 20-20 after being down by three, thanks to two of Gianni's seven kills in the set. At 24-24, Lewis closed out the set with two straight kills by Jason Gibbs.
GCU regrouped and hit .500 while only committing one attacking error to win the second set, 25-19. The Lopes led wire-to-wire in the set and extended their lead to 14-8 after a kill by Janke. Lewis pulled within three points at 19-16, but GCU closed out the set by winning six of the final nine points.
The Flyers responded with another close set win, taking the third frame 25-23. Lewis, ranked third in the country with 3.04 blocks per set, tallied five blocks in the set and limited GCU to .143 hitting. Down 24-21, the Lopes pulled within one point off an ace by sophomore middle blocker Colin Lovejoy, but Lewis scored the next point to win the set and take a 2-1 match lead.
With their backs against the wall, the Lopes responded again to force a fifth set with a 25-20 fourth-set win. After hitting in the negatives in the third set, Gianni returned to form and tallied seven kills on eight attempts.
In the fifth and final set, the Lopes jumped out to an early 5-2 lead off Janke's 15th kill of the match, but Lewis rallied to tie the scored at 8-8. A Lovejoy kill put GCU up 9-8, the last Lopes lead. Lewis, backed by a raucous home crowd, won seven of the final eight points to close out the set 15-10 and the five-set win.
The Lopes hit a match-low .100 in the final frame while the Flyers committed only two errors on 20 attacks.
GCU will head back home for the start of a four-match homestand, beginning with Friday ad Saturday matches against No. 11 UC Santa Barbara.
The Lopes (6-3) battled the Flyers (6-2) for nearly 2 1/2 hours in front of a packed Neil Carey Arena, which allowed fans for the first time this season. Lewis won 26-24, 19-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-10.
GCU was led by redshirt sophomore outside hitter Camden Gianni, who set a career high with 25 kills on .400 hitting while adding five blocks and four digs. Redshirt freshman setter Nicholas Slight set a new career high for the second straight match with 47 assists.
Down 4-2 in the first set, the Lopes scored the next seven points with two service aces by junior opposite Hugo Fischer and two kills from junior outside hitter Christian Ja6-24. nke to go up 9-4.
Later in the set, the Lopes knotted the score at 20-20 after being down by three, thanks to two of Gianni's seven kills in the set. At 24-24, Lewis closed out the set with two straight kills by Jason Gibbs.
GCU regrouped and hit .500 while only committing one attacking error to win the second set, 25-19. The Lopes led wire-to-wire in the set and extended their lead to 14-8 after a kill by Janke. Lewis pulled within three points at 19-16, but GCU closed out the set by winning six of the final nine points.
The Flyers responded with another close set win, taking the third frame 25-23. Lewis, ranked third in the country with 3.04 blocks per set, tallied five blocks in the set and limited GCU to .143 hitting. Down 24-21, the Lopes pulled within one point off an ace by sophomore middle blocker Colin Lovejoy, but Lewis scored the next point to win the set and take a 2-1 match lead.
With their backs against the wall, the Lopes responded again to force a fifth set with a 25-20 fourth-set win. After hitting in the negatives in the third set, Gianni returned to form and tallied seven kills on eight attempts.
In the fifth and final set, the Lopes jumped out to an early 5-2 lead off Janke's 15th kill of the match, but Lewis rallied to tie the scored at 8-8. A Lovejoy kill put GCU up 9-8, the last Lopes lead. Lewis, backed by a raucous home crowd, won seven of the final eight points to close out the set 15-10 and the five-set win.
The Lopes hit a match-low .100 in the final frame while the Flyers committed only two errors on 20 attacks.
GCU will head back home for the start of a four-match homestand, beginning with Friday ad Saturday matches against No. 11 UC Santa Barbara.
Team Stats
GCU
LEWIS
Kills
59
57
Errors
21
23
Attempts
136
128
Hitting %
.279
.266
Points
79.0
74.0
Assists
58
55
Aces
7
4
Blocks
13.0
13.0
Game Leaders
Kills
25
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
4
Blocks
3
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's VolleyballS
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