No. 5 Lopes start MPSF play with road win vs. Trojans

Wednesday, February 15

Los Angeles, Calif.

8 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-0,1-0MPSF

USC

6-5,0-1MPSF

Grand Canyon

Southern California

Photo by: Zach Campbell

2/15/2023 11:19:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Hickman, Janke lead No. 5 GCU over No. 12 USC for 12-0 start

By: Jerob Moon

LOS ANGELES – The No. 5 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team won its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener 3-1 at No. 12 USC on Wednesday night to extend its best program start to 12-0.

With all the wins under their belts, the fifth-ranked Lopes (12-0, 1-0 MPSF) may have picked up their biggest one to date in the conference opener against the Trojans (6-5, 0-1 MPSF).

GCU outlasted USC despite offensive struggles. The Lopes entered the match ranked second in the country for hitting percentage but hit just .207, a season low. While the offense struggled to find a rhythm, the GCU defense was strong, recording 10.5 blocks and 36 digs while limiting USC to just .217 hitting.

In their first true road match since Jan. 13, the Lopes took the first set 25-21. GCU was strong from the service line early, collecting five service aces while recording a 1.000 reception percentage on 16 USC serves. With the set tied at 14-14, the Lopes used a key 4-0 run that was capped bu two straight aces from outside hitter Camden Gianni. In his first start of the season, the junior had five kills, three aces and four digs after working back from injury.

GCU extended its first-set lead to 21-15 on an ace by junior outside hitter Jackson Hickman and withstood a late USC run that cut the lead to three. Hickman ended the set with his team-leading third kill.

Hickman collected 12 kills in the match on .385 hitting while adding eight digs and a pair of blocks.

The Lopes took a commanding second-set lead on the way to a 25-22 win. Both offenses were back on track in the second frame as GCU hit .400 compared to USC's .333. Senior outside hitter Christian Janke and Hickman combined for 10 of the Lopes' 15 kills to lead the attack.

GCU led wire to wire in a competitive set and held a 21-18 lead before USC closed the gap by winning three of the next five points. Up by just one, Janke and Hickman put the team on their backs with the final four kills of the set to close it out.

The third set was a thriller, featuring 18 ties and nine lead changes as USC extended the match with a 28-26 win. The Trojans defense came alive with six blocks and GCU struggled to find a rhythm, hitting just .186. With seven combined runs of three or more points, the momentum flipped back and forth until GCU held match point at 24-22. USC won two straight points to push the set into extra points, where the Lopes had three match points. The Trojans used a 3-0 run after trailing 26-25 to win the set.

GCU was able to regroup and take the fourth set 25-22 to seal the match. The Lopes again struggled on offense with nine kills and eight errors in the set, but they made up for it on defense with four blocks and five digs. GCU used a 5-1 run to lead 19-14 late, but a 5-1 USC run quickly countered to close the gap to a 20-19 lead.

Up 22-20, Lopes senior middle blocker Colin Lovejoy came off the bench and recorded an important kill to put GCU ahead by three. A USC service error gave the Lopes match point. In the final rally, Hickman and Janke combined for the match-winning block.

GCU middle blocker Rico Wardlow had another solid game with eight kills on .500 hitting with four blocks. Sophomore setter Nicholas Slight had a match-high 39 assists and led the team with eight digs.

The Lopes and Trojans will meet again on Friday in the Galen Center at 8 p.m. (Phoenix time).