Balanced attack builds to beat Utah Valley

Thursday, October 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

15-5,8-1WAC

Utah Valley

7-13,4-5WAC

Utah Valley

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

10/19/2023 9:46:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU's Mitchell distributes 41 assists; Lopes hit .375 to roll in 4th set

By: Paul Coro

With GCU Arena hosting commencement services, Grand Canyon moved its Thursday night match to Antelope Gymnasium, fittingly where it practices because the Lopes got better with time against Utah Valley.

Playing a home match for the first time since Sept. 30, the Lopes found their balance to split the gaps of one of the nation's best blocking teams for a 25-23, 16-25, 25-23, 25-16 conference victory.

GCU (15-5, 8-1 WAC) remains in second place in the conference and moves to 4-1 against Utah Valley over the past three seasons to reverse the Wolverines' previous series dominance.

"We were able to spread the ball around," GCU head coach Tim Nollan said. "At times, when we need to be balanced to spread the floor out, we were able to do it. We hit .418 off (graduate setter) Klaire Mitchell when she touched the ball, so as long as we can keep the ball going through her, we're going to do some really nice things."

The Lopes pulled out tight first- and second-set wins before having its most dominating effort in the fourth set, when GCU hit .375 to Utah Valley's .133.

A pivotal 10-3 Lopes run had GCU attacking from all angles on Mitchell's 41-assist night with four aces, which tied her career high. GCU closed the match with three unanswered points that were capped by sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott's match-high 18th kill.

Parrott, the WAC leader in kills, did not have her first kills until 16-15 of the first setm and she notched her second one when her power strike ricocheted around the Wolverines defense for the first set's match point. During the three-match winning streak, Parrott is averaging 5.5 kills per set.

Parrott did not need to carry GCU on Thursday night with a diversified offense that included senior outside hitter Ashley Lifgren setting the early tone on the way to a season-high 13 kills.

"It was louder and felt more homey," Lifgren said of playing at Antelope Gymnasium. "We never really got in a rhythm, but we pulled it out. Klaire did a good job of distributing the ball. We were pretty balanced overall. We passed pretty well toward the end and got the middles involved, so that helped open up in the pins also."

Utah Valley (7-13, 4-5 WAC) took the second set after scoring six unanswered points to take a 17-11 lead. The Wolverines hit .571 in the second set and used four blocks to score 14 of the last 18 points for the 25-16, match-evening win.

Parrott got GCU rolling again in the third set with kills for six of the Lopes' first 10 points. GCU could not pull away until junior middle blocker Trista Strasser scored three straight points on two kills and a block to start a 5-0 run for a 24-18 lead. Strasser finished the match with eight kills and eight blocks, as the Lopes nearly were even with the Wolverines in blocking.

GCU took longer than desired to finish the third set after taking that 24-18 lead. Despite two Lopes timeouts, Utah Valley came within a point of wiping away all of GCU's set points until sophomore outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez's right-side kill pinballed to the floor for the Lopes' 25-23 win and 2-1 match lead.

Five GCU players scored the first eight points of the fourth set to take control and never let go.

Utah Valley's last hope to get back in the match came when it cut the Lopes lead to 15-11, but GCU senior outside hitter Stella Gkiourda put down a back-row kill off freshman libero Bella Anderson's bump assist. Lifgren followed with a block and a kill and the Lopes rolled to a 10-5 close.

"We did a really nice job of taking what they were giving us and not trying to force anything different," Nollan said. "At times, we had to run through the middle, the right, the left. We saw what they were giving and took that, instead of trying to force it, which we tried to do a little bit early.

"We still found a way to win deuce sets. That's a testament to this team and their culture and their willingness to grind through the tough points and the matches and practices that don't always feel good."

For the first time in three weeks, the Lopes play at GCU Arena at 3 p.m. Saturday against Seattle U. GCU is on a stretch of playing six of its final eight regular-season matches at home.

"It is so fun in there with the environment, and we have such a good facility," Lifgren said. "We're excited to get back in there."