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Grand Canyon University Athletics
4 Lopes garner WAC preseason honors
8/18/2022 9:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Lopes selected 3rd in coaches' poll; Mitchell named WAC Preseason Setter of the Year
Grand Canyon women's volleyball was predicted to finish third in the WAC this season by a conference coaches poll, which also selected GCU senior Klaire Mitchell as Preseason Setter of the Year and put her on Preseason All-WAC with Lopes teammates Melanie Brecka, Annabelle Kubinski and McKenzie Wise.
"It is always nice when players in your program receive recognition, and I am happy for them," Lopes head coach Tim Nollan said of putting a conference-best four players on Preseason All-WAC. "This recognition shows the respect our program has earned and these players have earned from the conference coaches, but I believe that the most important ranking is the last one of the season, so that is the ranking our program is focused on."
Sliding into the poll at third with one first-place vote and 127 points, GCU sits closely behind Utah Valley (129 points) with five first-place votes and New Mexico State (135 points) with six first-place votes.
GCU returns from a season that included a 10-1 home record, an 11-6 conference record and their second WAC Tournament runner-up finish in the last three years.
Nollan, who enters his seventh season with the Lopes, has had a heavy hand in transforming the program into the successful team that takes the court this season. He has overseen six major All-WAC award winners, including Mitchell's back-to-back WAC Setter of the Year honors.
Mitchell, the two-time All-WAC first-team setter, holds the Lopes' Division I assist record with 2,308 in three seasons.
The Couer D'Alene, Idaho, native's 752 assists last season ranked third in the program's Division I single-season assist record book at 10.44 per set, an average that ranked 40th nationally.
"Klaire is certainly deserving of this," Nollan said. "After all, she is the two-time Setter of the Year. What I think is most impressive about her is her game just keeps getting better and better. Her work ethic and leadership guide this program."
Meanwhile, Brecka, previously at Kansas City, posted 15 double-doubles, 511 points and an average of 4.41 points per set last season to rank second in the Summit League.
The graduate right side from Lincoln, Nebraska, ranked third in the Summit League and in the national top 50 with 438 kills.
Kubinski, the two-time All-WAC second-team middle blocker, holds the Lopes' Division I career record for hitting percentage (.338).
The graduate from Albuquerque, New Mexico, also ranks second in points (827.5), fourth in kills (656) and third in block solos (38), block assists (183) and total blocks (221).
Wise, the 2021 WAC Freshman of the the Year, also earned a spot on the All-WAC second team last season. The Phoenix Northwest Christian graduate led the Lopes in points (348), points per set (4.19), kills (300), kills per set (3.61), and total attacks (923) at outside hitter last season.
GCU opens its doors to UTEP on Saturday with a home exhibition at noon while regular-season play is set to begin on Aug. 26, when the Lopes travel to Montana State for the Bobcat Classic.
Nollan said, "I am excited to get this 2022 season started and show our fans what this new team is capable of."
"It is always nice when players in your program receive recognition, and I am happy for them," Lopes head coach Tim Nollan said of putting a conference-best four players on Preseason All-WAC. "This recognition shows the respect our program has earned and these players have earned from the conference coaches, but I believe that the most important ranking is the last one of the season, so that is the ranking our program is focused on." Sliding into the poll at third with one first-place vote and 127 points, GCU sits closely behind Utah Valley (129 points) with five first-place votes and New Mexico State (135 points) with six first-place votes.
GCU returns from a season that included a 10-1 home record, an 11-6 conference record and their second WAC Tournament runner-up finish in the last three years.
Nollan, who enters his seventh season with the Lopes, has had a heavy hand in transforming the program into the successful team that takes the court this season. He has overseen six major All-WAC award winners, including Mitchell's back-to-back WAC Setter of the Year honors.
Mitchell, the two-time All-WAC first-team setter, holds the Lopes' Division I assist record with 2,308 in three seasons.The Couer D'Alene, Idaho, native's 752 assists last season ranked third in the program's Division I single-season assist record book at 10.44 per set, an average that ranked 40th nationally.
"Klaire is certainly deserving of this," Nollan said. "After all, she is the two-time Setter of the Year. What I think is most impressive about her is her game just keeps getting better and better. Her work ethic and leadership guide this program."
Meanwhile, Brecka, previously at Kansas City, posted 15 double-doubles, 511 points and an average of 4.41 points per set last season to rank second in the Summit League.The graduate right side from Lincoln, Nebraska, ranked third in the Summit League and in the national top 50 with 438 kills.
Kubinski, the two-time All-WAC second-team middle blocker, holds the Lopes' Division I career record for hitting percentage (.338).The graduate from Albuquerque, New Mexico, also ranks second in points (827.5), fourth in kills (656) and third in block solos (38), block assists (183) and total blocks (221).
Wise, the 2021 WAC Freshman of the the Year, also earned a spot on the All-WAC second team last season. The Phoenix Northwest Christian graduate led the Lopes in points (348), points per set (4.19), kills (300), kills per set (3.61), and total attacks (923) at outside hitter last season.GCU opens its doors to UTEP on Saturday with a home exhibition at noon while regular-season play is set to begin on Aug. 26, when the Lopes travel to Montana State for the Bobcat Classic.
Nollan said, "I am excited to get this 2022 season started and show our fans what this new team is capable of."
Conference awards |
|
| Award | Player, School |
| Setter of the Year | Klaire Mitchell, GCU |
| Libero of the Year | Hannah Baker, Sam Houston |
| Player of the Year | Katie Birtcil, New Mexico State |
Preseason All-WAC |
|
| Position | Player, Year, School |
| Libero | Hannah Baker, sophomore, Sam Houston |
| Outside hitter | Katie Birtcil, junior, New Mexico State |
| Right side | Melanie Brecka, graduate, GCU |
| Outside hitter | Sarah Cruz, senior, UTRGV |
| Outside hitter | Tori Dorius, senior, Utah Valley |
| Outside hitter | Christine Graf, senior, California Baptist |
| Middle blocker | Annabelle Kubinski, graduate, GCU |
| Setter | Klaire Mitchell, senior, GCU |
| Middle blocker | Lia Mosher, graduate, New Mexico State |
| Outside hitter | Kazna Tanuvasa, graduate, Utah Valley |
| Outside hitter | McKenzie Wise, sophomore, GCU |
Preseason coaches poll |
|||
| Rank | Team (first-place votes) | Points | |
| 1 |
 |
New Mexico State (6) | 135 |
| 2 |
 |
Utah Valley (5) | 129 |
| 3 |
 |
Grand Canyon (1) | 127 |
| 4 |
 |
Sam Houston (1) | 99 |
| 5 |
 |
Stephen F. Austin | 95 |
| 6 |
 |
California Baptist | 90 |
| 7 |
 |
UTRGV | 86 |
| 8 |
 |
UT Arlington | 54 |
| 9 |
 |
Tarleton | 50 |
| 10 |
 |
Utah Tech | 50 |
| 11 |
 |
Abilene Christian | 37 |
| 12 |
 |
Southern Utah | 32 |
| 13 |
 |
Seattle U | 17 |
Players Mentioned
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