Completed Event: Volleyball at Arizona State on March 20, 2026 ,
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at Arizona State
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Sebastian Molinar
NCAA tourney puts GCU at Washington State
11/26/2023 5:56:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro
WAC Tournament champions play 10th-ranked Cougars on Friday night
The Grand Canyon women's volleyball program already had arrived long before the nationally televised NCAA Selection Special revealed its name Sunday on the NCAA tournament bracket for a Friday night first-round match at Washington State.
Receiving its first ticket to the national championship's 64-team field is more reward than validation for a path GCU has earned, going from a .378 winning percentage in its first six Division I seasons to a .731 winning percentage over the past five seasons.
By no coincidence, that turn came with the arrival of graduate setter Klaire Mitchell, one of three active players in the nation with at least 4,500 career assists and 1,100 career digs in Division I action.
But with this 23-7 team that won its first WAC Tournament championship, Mitchell has the most nationally ranked talent around her to challenge the 10th-ranked Cougars in Pullman, Washington, a 90-minute drive from her hometown of Couer d'Alene, Idaho.
With Mitchell setting 10.7 assists per set to rank 19th nationally, Lopes sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott ranks sixth nationally for points per set (5.5) and seventh for kills per set (4.7). As a team, GCU ranks 16th nationally for blocks per set (2.7) and 20th for aces per set (1.9).
"I've watched this every year," Mitchell said of the ESPNU show that mentioned her as the three-time WAC Setter of the Year. "I wasn't nervous until we got here 15 minutes and had to wait.
"It's funny getting matched up with Washington State. I grew up watching them. I'm friends with their head coach (Jen Greeny). It's really close to home, so I'm going to have a lot of friends and family there. Hopefully, they have enough tickets for the Mitchell family. I'm super excited."
GCU will not be just happy to be there when it plays Washington State at 8 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Friday, 13 days after claiming the WAC Tournament championship and an NCAA tournament automatic berth by beating Stephen F. Austin (29-4) in four sets. SFA also received an at-large bid and will play at No. 9 Arkansas.
That drew a reaction, as did other possible destinations coming and going before "Grand Canyon" popped up on a line for one cheer before another wave came with seeing it was headed to the Pittsburgh regional's No. 4 seed in Pullman. If the Lopes win, they would remain in Pullman and play Saturday against the Friday winner of Pepperdine (19-8) vs. regional No. 5 seed Dayton (31-2).
"Watching the team be able to experience the selection show, have that feeling and get that taste for all the underclassmen so they can expect that every year is a really big deal," Nollan said. "It's a reward for the kids who came here with a vision that we would one day do this and turn the program around. For the young kids, it's the new norm and expectation."
The Lopes (23-7) and Cougars (24-7) have seen two common opponents this season. Both won in sweeps against UC Irvine, and both went five sets with Arizona, although Washington State won that match in Tucson while GCU lost it at home.
The experienced-laden Washington State team bpasts 12 seniors or graduate students and ranks 10th nationally with .286 hitting. Pac-12 blocks leader Magda Jehlarova, a 6-foot-3 fifth-year senior, ranks 11th nationally with .416 hitting.
"They're long, they're athletic and they hit the ball hard," Nollan said. "They play in a smaller venue, so it'll be loud in there. They do a good job of packing it out. We're going to have to make sure we're super patient and just execute on our side."
Washington State enters the tournament after five consecutive Pac-12 victories, including top-25 home wins against USC and Arizona State. GCU played its best volleyball at the WAC Tournament and is on a four-match winning streak, taking 12 of 13 sets in that stretch. The Lopes swept 18 opponents this season.
"I think we have a good shot at winning this and being the first team to win a NCAA first round," Parrott said. "This year, we had a team that was all in on everything. We just all get along so well. Our chemistry is really a big part of why we play so well together. We have a ton of trust in each other."
GCU went 8-3 on the road this season but will be facing a top-25 opponent for the first time since 2016. The Lopes were excited about having the blanks fillled in on their opportunity after practicing again Sunday before the show without knowing what opponent was next. Sitting with their first WAC Tournament trophy in a lecture hall attached to Antelope Gymnasium, the achievement came full circle.
"It's been crazy," Mitchell said. "The last week, it's been settling in that we won. But it didn't really hit us. But now that we have a matchup and our name has been called on TV, it feels a lot more real. I'm excited to get in the gym tomorrow."
Receiving its first ticket to the national championship's 64-team field is more reward than validation for a path GCU has earned, going from a .378 winning percentage in its first six Division I seasons to a .731 winning percentage over the past five seasons.
By no coincidence, that turn came with the arrival of graduate setter Klaire Mitchell, one of three active players in the nation with at least 4,500 career assists and 1,100 career digs in Division I action.
But with this 23-7 team that won its first WAC Tournament championship, Mitchell has the most nationally ranked talent around her to challenge the 10th-ranked Cougars in Pullman, Washington, a 90-minute drive from her hometown of Couer d'Alene, Idaho.With Mitchell setting 10.7 assists per set to rank 19th nationally, Lopes sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott ranks sixth nationally for points per set (5.5) and seventh for kills per set (4.7). As a team, GCU ranks 16th nationally for blocks per set (2.7) and 20th for aces per set (1.9).
"I've watched this every year," Mitchell said of the ESPNU show that mentioned her as the three-time WAC Setter of the Year. "I wasn't nervous until we got here 15 minutes and had to wait.
"It's funny getting matched up with Washington State. I grew up watching them. I'm friends with their head coach (Jen Greeny). It's really close to home, so I'm going to have a lot of friends and family there. Hopefully, they have enough tickets for the Mitchell family. I'm super excited."
GCU will not be just happy to be there when it plays Washington State at 8 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Friday, 13 days after claiming the WAC Tournament championship and an NCAA tournament automatic berth by beating Stephen F. Austin (29-4) in four sets. SFA also received an at-large bid and will play at No. 9 Arkansas.
That drew a reaction, as did other possible destinations coming and going before "Grand Canyon" popped up on a line for one cheer before another wave came with seeing it was headed to the Pittsburgh regional's No. 4 seed in Pullman. If the Lopes win, they would remain in Pullman and play Saturday against the Friday winner of Pepperdine (19-8) vs. regional No. 5 seed Dayton (31-2)."Watching the team be able to experience the selection show, have that feeling and get that taste for all the underclassmen so they can expect that every year is a really big deal," Nollan said. "It's a reward for the kids who came here with a vision that we would one day do this and turn the program around. For the young kids, it's the new norm and expectation."
The Lopes (23-7) and Cougars (24-7) have seen two common opponents this season. Both won in sweeps against UC Irvine, and both went five sets with Arizona, although Washington State won that match in Tucson while GCU lost it at home.
The experienced-laden Washington State team bpasts 12 seniors or graduate students and ranks 10th nationally with .286 hitting. Pac-12 blocks leader Magda Jehlarova, a 6-foot-3 fifth-year senior, ranks 11th nationally with .416 hitting.
"They're long, they're athletic and they hit the ball hard," Nollan said. "They play in a smaller venue, so it'll be loud in there. They do a good job of packing it out. We're going to have to make sure we're super patient and just execute on our side."
Washington State enters the tournament after five consecutive Pac-12 victories, including top-25 home wins against USC and Arizona State. GCU played its best volleyball at the WAC Tournament and is on a four-match winning streak, taking 12 of 13 sets in that stretch. The Lopes swept 18 opponents this season.
"I think we have a good shot at winning this and being the first team to win a NCAA first round," Parrott said. "This year, we had a team that was all in on everything. We just all get along so well. Our chemistry is really a big part of why we play so well together. We have a ton of trust in each other."
GCU went 8-3 on the road this season but will be facing a top-25 opponent for the first time since 2016. The Lopes were excited about having the blanks fillled in on their opportunity after practicing again Sunday before the show without knowing what opponent was next. Sitting with their first WAC Tournament trophy in a lecture hall attached to Antelope Gymnasium, the achievement came full circle.
"It's been crazy," Mitchell said. "The last week, it's been settling in that we won. But it didn't really hit us. But now that we have a matchup and our name has been called on TV, it feels a lot more real. I'm excited to get in the gym tomorrow."
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