Janke sets GCU service ace record in 3-0 win

Friday, January 27

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-0,0-0MPSF

Erskine

2-3,0-0Conference Carolinas

Erskine

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Skyler Coblentz

1/27/2023 8:48:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Lopes match best start in program history with home sweep

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team was back in action after 13 days off and showed no signs of rust in a 3-0 win over Erskine at GCU Arena on Friday night.

The Lopes (5-0) matched their best start in program history and were clinical on offense, hitting .417 with six service aces. Senior outside hitter Christian Janke served five of those aces and set the program record with the 129th ace of his storied career.

GCU took the first set with a 26-24 win. Both offenses were on fire with GCU hitting .429 while Erskine hit .500, its best mark of the night. Redshirt freshman opposite Jonah Gilbert started the night hot with six of his match-high 14 kills in the set while Janke and sophomore outside hitter Karter Rogers each had four. Junior middle blocker Chibuike Obi earned his first start of the season and had a block on the first rally of the match.

The set was back and forth with 15 ties and two score changes. GCU held a 23-21 lead off a kill by Gilbert, but Erskine came back to tie it up. The Lopes scored three of the final four points with Janke ending the set with his 129th career ace to set the new program record.

In the second set, the Lopes continued their strong offensive play with a 25-20 win. GCU only had two attacking errors on 24 attempts while Erskine had six errors with only 10 kills. Janke recorded six kills in the set while Gilbert added four. After the Fleet retook the lead at 6-5, GCU went on a 6-2 run to pull ahead 12-9 and never gave it back. Obi had a block and set in back-to-back plays to give the Lopes set point at 24-20, when Janke finished the set with a kill.

In the third set, GCU head coach Matt Werle turned to the bench and gave a pair of Lopes their first action of the season in a 25-17 win. Junior outside hitter Camden Gianni made his debut after missing the first four matches with an injury. The All-America honorable mention had three kills and a dig in the set. Freshman middle blocker Cameron Thorne also made his collegiate debut and collected two kills with a block assist.

Leading 18-16, the Lopes ended the match on a 7-1 run that was capped by three Janke aces in the final four points of the match.

The Lopes will be back in GCU Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m. against UC San Diego.