Mitchell multitasks in Lopes' 13th sweep

Thursday, October 26

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

17-5,10-1WAC

Utah Tech

8-13,4-7WAC

Utah Tech

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

10/26/2023 8:51:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score

Graduate setter helps offense to .385 hitting as Parrott adds 16 kills, 15 digs

By: Paul Coro

There are different promotions and names to each Grand Canyon women's volleyball match, but each time the Lopes take the court is Klaire Mitchell Appreciation Night at this point.

With three home matches to go in her illustrious, program-changing career, the GCU graduate setter delivers with the reliability of Amazon to give her Lopes nights like Thursday night. GCU never trailed in a 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 win against Utah Tech for the Lopes' 13th win in their past 14 matches.

GCU (17-5, 10-1 WAC) recorded its 13th sweep of the season with .385 hitting, its third-best clip of the season, against a Trailblazers team that had been limiting opponents to .174 hitting.

In 2 1/2 sets of work, Mitchell racked up 35 assists and nine digs. Her all-court play is why she is one of five active Division I players with at least 4,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Klaire Mitchell

And she can even be towering with a slender 5-foot-9 frame at the net, where the Idahoan got a block and notched four kills to equal her season high for a second consecutive match.

"Really, it's just my health," Mitchell said of her peak play. "This is the healthiest year I've ever had, which has been super fun and just helps everyone else when I can play a whole, rounded game."

In the past five wins, GCU sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott is increasing her WAC lead by averaging 5.2 kills per set. She put down six in the first set, including three of the final four Lopes points. One scored off Parrott coming out of the back row and another was set by an airborne Mitchell floating backward to assist.

Parrott finished with a team-high 16 kills, but she had early help from junior middle blocker Alissa Uhlenhop getting four of her nine kills in GCU's 25-21 first set with an 11-player rotation.

"Tatum P, with 16 kills, 15 digs and two service aces, is really hitting her stride here at the back half of conference play, which is the best time to play the best ball," GCU head coach Tim Nollan said. "Tonight was a step forward for us. Alissa hitting 9 for 15 and Trista (Strasser) hitting 6 for 11, when the middles can score like that, it puts so much pressure on opponents and opens up everyone else."

Tatum Parrott

Parrott turned up her power for an eight-kill second set that included a block and an ace. Set point came on a hustling Mitchell play in which she slid on the floor near the scorer's table to bump the ball backward. She sent the ball across the court with nearly the same precise placement as her usual sets for Parrott to kill

Before Thursday night's match, Parrott ranked sixth nationally at 5.3 points per set. She scored 19 points in three sets against Utah Tech (8-14, 4-7 WAC).

"She was amazing last year, and it's been crazy to see how much she could improve from then," Mitchell said of Parrott. "She's our leader and has been so consistent. We know we can count on her. We give her a lot of reps, but she always pulls it off in the big moments."

After missing three of their first seven serves and having five service errors in the first set, the Lopes only made one service error in the match's last two sets. GCU, which entered Thursday ranked fourth nationally with 2.15 aces per set, delivered four aces and served well enough on many others to disrupt Utah Tech's offense.

Junior outside hitter McKenzie Wise helped put away the final set with three consecutive Lopes kills for a 19-8 lead as Mitchell exited. Parrott and Uhlenhop teamed for the match-finishing block, a fitting defensive end to a night in which GCU was aggressive off serve receive and digs.

The Lopes piled up 56 digs, their highest three-set total of the season with Parrott's 15 being the team high.

"We have great energy right now," Mitchell said. "At the end of the season, teams usually get tired and worn out from hanging out with each other every day. But we all love each other. It's definitely a different type of group. It's fun that we all celebrate for each other and do funny, goofy things."

GCU stayed one game back of WAC leader Stephen F. Austin (22-3, 11-0 WAC), which visits GCU Arena on Nov. 9. The Lopes hold a two-game lead over third-place UT Rio Grande Valley (14-10, 8-3 WAC) heading into Saturday's 3 p.m. match against Southern Utah. Five regular-season conference matches remain.

"I'm looking for us to start where we finished tonight," Nollan said. "We want to continually get better. We're not done yet. We're still showing growth in some areas we want to move on. I'm excited to see where this thing takes us."