Upcoming Event: Volleyball at Texas A&M on August 28, 2026
Volleyball
at Texas A&M
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, November 11
Phoenix, Ariz.
3 p.m.
Grand Canyon
20-7,13-3WAC
3
vs
0
UT Arlington
20-9,9-7WAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT Arlington | 16 | 19 | 13 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Jayden Todd
Mitchell, seniors bid farewell to home in big way
11/11/2023 7:02:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro
GCU dominates UT Arlington for Senior Day sweep, 20th victory
The postgame emotions on the court nearly lasted longer than Grand Canyon's sweep win Saturday, when nine Lopes were honored on Senior Day and basked in their dominant GCU Arena goodbye.
They left a mark on the program in their careers and put dings in UT Arlington while senior setter Klaire Mitchell left an indelible legacy.
The program changed with Mitchell's arrival and the other players who came with her or followed her. GCU (20-7, 13-3 WAC) recorded its program-record 16th sweep of the season Saturday and matched its best WAC record ever, but the larger rewind shows that the Lopes have gone 92-35 over Mitchell's five years after being 32-77 in the four prior years.
On a day when every senior played well, Mitchell handled the emotions of her final home game and delivered her customary brilliance to lead an offense that hit .345.
"Even when I cry today, they're happy tears," Mitchell said. "I'm very thankful to be emotional because that means I've had a great five years here.
"When I ran out, I saw some of my old teammates from my freshman year and I knew it was going to be hard. So thankful they came back and supported. At the start of the third set when we were up 2-0, I thought, 'We're almost there.' "
Despite missing matches to injuries at times, Mitchell is the only active player in the nation besides Oregon's Hannah Pukis with more than 4,400 career kills and 1,100 digs in Division I play.
"Klaire is what turned this program, and these kids came in knowing they got to play with her and took it to a whole new level," GCU head coach Tim Nollan said. "The amount that they've poured into this program is something special.
"We've just got to appreciate Klaire for the next three or four weeks that we get her and know that she left a really big mark on this program. The best part about her is, as we were recruiting kids to fill her spot, she said, 'Just make sure you get somebody better.' "
The nice thing is that end is not here. With its first 20-win season since Mitchell's freshman year, GCU secured the No. 2 seed for next week's WAC Tournament after beating fourth-place UT Arlington (20-9, 9-7 WAC) easily, 25-16, 25-19, 25-13.
Sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott led GCU with 11 kills, while senior outside hitters Hope Hanak-Harper and Ashley Lifgren had five and six kills, respectively. Lifgren will return next season but participated in Senior Day to join her classmates.
"It was awesome to have a great team win like that, knowing that all the seniors got in and we never skipped a beat," Hanak-Harper said. "It's been really cool to see all the growth in the program, knowing that it takes everybody. The buy-in we've got from everybody has been super cool. We're really excited to see where we finish this year because we're not done yet."
Saturday's chills set in before the match with the GCU Arena big screen playing a video in which the Lopes underclassmen talked about what the seniors meant to them as their highlights played.
The emotions at Friday's practice were more intense, as sad songs matched the tears.
"Yesterday started off on a rough note, but it's just a reflection of how much we love each other and how special this program is to us," said senior setter Ava Mason, who assisted match point in her home farewell. "If it wasn't like that, we wouldn't be reacting that way. It's cool to have something that means that much to us. The girls made it an amazing day."
In Saturday's first set, a 9-0 run with three Parrott aces turned the emotion into elation. The Lopes buried the Mavericks with an early 7-0 run in the second set, as junior Alissa Uhlnehop picked up three of her seven block assists consecutively. Two came with Mitchell, who had four kills and four blocks.
Another 7-0 run came in the third set on UT Arlington, whose 48 points were a season low.
"Everyone just stepped up and played," Nollan said. "I didn't have to make a single change for performance, which is amazing. You can't write a better Senior Day than that."
It was the type of day Mitchell envisioned years ago when she declined a chance to be on a track for the New York City Ballet in order to have an enjoyable college experience and apply that grace and grit to volleyball.
"It's exactly what I got," Mitchell said. "I've never second-guessed my reasoning for being here. I think these last couple days have showed that. Seeing all these people I care about and people who have been around me throughout my career is so special."
The WAC Tournament begins Thursday in Orem, Utah, where the second-seeded Lopes will open against California Baptist.
They left a mark on the program in their careers and put dings in UT Arlington while senior setter Klaire Mitchell left an indelible legacy.
The program changed with Mitchell's arrival and the other players who came with her or followed her. GCU (20-7, 13-3 WAC) recorded its program-record 16th sweep of the season Saturday and matched its best WAC record ever, but the larger rewind shows that the Lopes have gone 92-35 over Mitchell's five years after being 32-77 in the four prior years.
On a day when every senior played well, Mitchell handled the emotions of her final home game and delivered her customary brilliance to lead an offense that hit .345.
"Even when I cry today, they're happy tears," Mitchell said. "I'm very thankful to be emotional because that means I've had a great five years here.
"When I ran out, I saw some of my old teammates from my freshman year and I knew it was going to be hard. So thankful they came back and supported. At the start of the third set when we were up 2-0, I thought, 'We're almost there.' "
Despite missing matches to injuries at times, Mitchell is the only active player in the nation besides Oregon's Hannah Pukis with more than 4,400 career kills and 1,100 digs in Division I play.
"Klaire is what turned this program, and these kids came in knowing they got to play with her and took it to a whole new level," GCU head coach Tim Nollan said. "The amount that they've poured into this program is something special.
"We've just got to appreciate Klaire for the next three or four weeks that we get her and know that she left a really big mark on this program. The best part about her is, as we were recruiting kids to fill her spot, she said, 'Just make sure you get somebody better.' "
The nice thing is that end is not here. With its first 20-win season since Mitchell's freshman year, GCU secured the No. 2 seed for next week's WAC Tournament after beating fourth-place UT Arlington (20-9, 9-7 WAC) easily, 25-16, 25-19, 25-13.
Sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott led GCU with 11 kills, while senior outside hitters Hope Hanak-Harper and Ashley Lifgren had five and six kills, respectively. Lifgren will return next season but participated in Senior Day to join her classmates."It was awesome to have a great team win like that, knowing that all the seniors got in and we never skipped a beat," Hanak-Harper said. "It's been really cool to see all the growth in the program, knowing that it takes everybody. The buy-in we've got from everybody has been super cool. We're really excited to see where we finish this year because we're not done yet."
Saturday's chills set in before the match with the GCU Arena big screen playing a video in which the Lopes underclassmen talked about what the seniors meant to them as their highlights played.
The emotions at Friday's practice were more intense, as sad songs matched the tears.
"Yesterday started off on a rough note, but it's just a reflection of how much we love each other and how special this program is to us," said senior setter Ava Mason, who assisted match point in her home farewell. "If it wasn't like that, we wouldn't be reacting that way. It's cool to have something that means that much to us. The girls made it an amazing day."
In Saturday's first set, a 9-0 run with three Parrott aces turned the emotion into elation. The Lopes buried the Mavericks with an early 7-0 run in the second set, as junior Alissa Uhlnehop picked up three of her seven block assists consecutively. Two came with Mitchell, who had four kills and four blocks.
Another 7-0 run came in the third set on UT Arlington, whose 48 points were a season low.
"Everyone just stepped up and played," Nollan said. "I didn't have to make a single change for performance, which is amazing. You can't write a better Senior Day than that."
It was the type of day Mitchell envisioned years ago when she declined a chance to be on a track for the New York City Ballet in order to have an enjoyable college experience and apply that grace and grit to volleyball.
"It's exactly what I got," Mitchell said. "I've never second-guessed my reasoning for being here. I think these last couple days have showed that. Seeing all these people I care about and people who have been around me throughout my career is so special."
The WAC Tournament begins Thursday in Orem, Utah, where the second-seeded Lopes will open against California Baptist.
Team Stats
UTA
GCU
Kills
36
35
Errors
28
5
Attempts
112
84
Hitting %
.071
.357
Points
44.0
53.0
Assists
31
29
Aces
5
6
Blocks
3
12
Game Leaders
Kills
11
Aces
3
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
4
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
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