Homestand ends with 4th straight sweep

Saturday, March 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

13-8,3-3MPSF

Tusculum

5-13,0-0DI Independent

Tusculum

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Skyler Coblentz

3/19/2022 5:57:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes wrap up nonconference play with 3-0 win vs. Tusculum

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team wrapped up a dominant homestand with a second straight 3-0 win over Tusculum on Saturday at GCU Arena.

In the final nonconference match of the season, the Lopes (13-8) hit a season-high .522 for the second highest mark in team history. GCU recorded its fourth straight 3-0 victory for the first time since 2020, as it limited Tusculum (5-14) to .195 hitting.

Redshirt sophomore Chibuike Obi made his first career start at middle blocker and impressed early with four kills on perfect hitting as the Lopes won 25-16. For the set, the Lopes had just one attacking error while collecting 11 digs and a perfect reception percentage.

The Lopes won nine of the first 12 points with four players recording a kill. Redshirt sophomore opposite Carson Brandt, earning his second start of the homestand, collected a kill to make it 21-13 and the Lopes won the final three points on Tusculum errors.

GCU was just as dominant in the second set, hitting .538 with just two attacking errors in a 25-15 set win. It was close for the first half of the set with the Lopes ahead 12-10 but an 8-1 run followed on four kills, two blocks and a service ace from redshirt junior outside hitter Christian Janke. Janke and fellow outside hitter Grayson Browning, a redshirt junior, recorded the last two kills to close out the set.

GCU closed out the match with a 25-17 third set win. The Lopes mixed up the lineup with redshirt junior setter Heath Hughes starting in the libero spot, where he finished with two digs and a perfect reception percentage. The usual starting libero, reshirt junior Cole Udall, subbed into the match and had his first two serve attempts of his career.

Tusculum scored the first three points, but the Lopes responded with five straight points, two of them coming from Janke aces. A later 8-2 GCU run put the score out of reach for the Pioneers at 19-13. Janke finished the match with a kill.

The Lopes will resume Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play with matches at Concordia on March 25 and 26.