4-set battle goes to 1st-place SFA

Thursday, November 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

19-7,12-3WAC

Stephen F. Austin

26-3,15-0WAC

SFA

Grand Canyon

11/9/2023 9:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

GCU's Mitchell, Parrott notch double-doubles

By: Adrianna Candelaria

Grand Canyon fell to Stephen F. Austin, the only undefeated team in WAC play, in a four-set clash at GCU Arena on Thursday night. The Lopes asserted themselves in a dominant third frame, only the Ladyjacks' seventh lost set in WAC action this season, but Stephen F. Austin ultimately prevailed 25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18.

GCU (19-7, 12-3 WAC), which remains second in the conference, hit .238 on the match against a team that has held its opponents to an average hitting percentage of .151 this season. Lopes graduate setter Klaire Mitchell (44 assists, 15 digs) fed the beast inside, helping sophomore middle blocker Trista Strasser to seven kills on a whopping .438 hitting percentage.

Meanwhile, GCU outside hitters Tatum Parrott (sophomore), Ashley Lifgren (senior) and Stella Gkiourda (junior) notched 16, 12 and 10 kills, respectively. With 44 assists and 15 digs, Mitchell etched her 10th double-double of the season, while Parrott (16 kills, 12 digs) posted her fourth.

The Lopes managed 11 blocks to eight by SFA (26-3, 15-0 WAC), with junior middle blocker Alissa Uhlenhop defending the net with five block assists beside Strasser (four block assists, one block solo), Mitchell (three block assists) and Gkiourda (two block assists, one block solo).

Historically, each meeting involving these two programs has resulted in four-frame decisions, with the exception of SFA's sweep of GCU at Shelton Gym in early October. The Lopes defeated the Ladyjacks 3-1 at home in 2021, but have not come out on top since then. This is GCU's first loss to SFA at home.

Despite dropping the first set 25-17, the Lopes returned to the floor ready to the fight in the second set, which featured 12 ties and six lead changes with late pressure by the Lopes. The Ladyjacks led 23-20 on a GCU service error but were caught on their heels when Uhlenhop and Strasser struck for back-to-back kills to cut the lead to 23-22. Strasser also came up with a massive solo block to cut the lead to one again at 24-23, but the Ladyjacks claimed the set on Izabella Ortiz's kill.

Down 2-0 in the match, the Lopes rose to the occasion in the third set, hitting .429 and building an immediate 4-0 lead off of Mitchell's second service ace of the match, a Gkiourda kill and two SFA errors.

Remaining in control for the entirety of the set, GCU went on another four-point roll with a kill by Parrott (7-4), an SFA attack error (8-4), a Lifgren kill (9-4) and a block by Mitchell and Uhlenhop (10-4). Another Lopes run took the lead to 15-10, when Parrott notched a kill (13-10), Gkiourda got a kill (14-10) and Mitchell served her third and final ace of the evening (15-10). Another 3-0 put the lead at 18-11 when Gkiourda stuffed SFA for a solo block (16-11), Gkiourda and Strasser combined for a block (17-11) and Strasser and Lifgren teamed up for a block (18-11).

Mitchell posted a kill for 24-17, and a notched the final assist of the set, on a Parrott kill to end it 25-17 and extend the match.

GCU put forth another massive momentum shift in the fourth frame, scoring five unanswered points to rally from a 7-4 deficit; Lifgren got it started with a kill, followed by a Uhlenhop and Lifgren block, two SFA attacking errors to pull ahead and a Lifgren kill to cement a 9-7 lead. Unfortunately for the Lopes, the Ladyjacks rallied and prevailed through eight ties and three lead changes to clinch the match with a 25-22 set win.

The Lopes will host fourth-place UT Arlington on Saturday for Senior Day, at 3 p.m. (Phoenix time) in GCU Arena.