Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Skyler Coblentz
Janke's joy for GCU guides program to 1st NCAAs
4/28/2023 11:41:00 AM | Men's Volleyball, Paul Coro
Lopes career starter lifted program on, off the court to hallmark season
For eight years, Grand Canyon men's volleyball Matt Werle has been laying the sticks strategically for his program to catch fire.
For the past five years, Christian Janke was the player with the burning desire to keep fanning the flames until the Lopes blazed a trail to the NCAA tournament stage.
After 121 matches, 149 aces, 1,286 kills and countless intangibles, Janke has ascended the program with his game to put GCU in its first NCAA tournament appearance on Tuesday after its winningest season (22-7).
"Getting to this moment was all that mattered," said Janke, who was the Lopes players to be honored on the All-America second team last season. "Every single game, I've put all my effort into it for the last five years to lead up to this final moment of making the tournament. You can't really write a better book than that. It's a super-cool experience, but it hasn't fully hit me yet. I need to focus on winning, so I'm not going to let it hit me until afterward."
When GCU meets Long Beach State (20-4) in Fairfax, Virginia, on Tuesday in the seven-team national championship tourney, Janke will be completing an arc that began as part of one of Werle's first recruiting classes.
Werle was stunned that a player with his powerful arm, back-row ability and volleyball intelligence was available in Carlsbad, California. Janke, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter, was looking for a college home where he could pursue volleyball and engineering.
"It's been way more than everything I wanted," Janke said. "It just felt like I was supposed to go here on my visit. Something was drawing me. I thought, 'This is where I need to be,' because of the atmosphere.
"It's so fulfilling in everything I could've wanted. I'm stoked that I chose here."
Janke instantly became a starter and progressed with each season, hitting better than .300 in his final two Lopes seasons while improving his defense and serve/receive game to add to his aggressive serves. He has averaged nearly three kills per set and ranks fifth nationally among active players for career kills, including a program-record 31-kill match against BYU last season.
"He has gone over and above whatever I thought he'd be able to achieve," Werle said. "That's with the accolades and what he has dedicated to this program. He has been there alongside me, and he's so helpful in the amount of times I bounce things off him or empower him to make a choice. It's been a tremendous part of his growth."
All the while, Janke finished a Mechanical Engineering degree with a 3.85 GPA and will finish a master's in Business Administration in September. The structure of a student-athlete schedule helped him to be disciplined about his difficult field of study early in weeks and to teach himself topics when he missed class for road trips.
Janke showed the same dedication to annual focus areas of improvement that he took to the court, where he and Werle connect innately.
"We talk about it all the time like we don't like each other, but it's because we are so similar, and we understand exactly what the other is thinking all the time without talking," Janke said. "We're always on the same page. When I'm on the court, it translates. When he looks at me, it's like, 'OK, yeah.' "
That investment in the program, his coach and his university is why this moment means so much to Janke.
After the final regular-season match and the final conference tournament match, Janke looked at Grayson Browning, another member of that cultural cornerstone class of 2018. Janke saw the emotions building in his teammate and cut him off each time, reminding him that there is more Lopes volleyball for them to play.
They had to wait through the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday before they knew that their No. 5 national ranking in NCAA Ratings Percentage Index carried to an at-large berth.
"This is the legacy I wanted to create because it helps recruiting and relieves stress of finally getting there for the future years," Janke said. "Now, there's this standard that is set that is a lot higher than it has been. Future teams will be more cognizant of what it takes, what you need to do and the chemistry it takes
"I didn't know leaving a legacy was my goal because you don't think of that as a freshman, but now that I've done it, it's the most important thing – how I affect people after me."
It took Janke's relentless effort through practices and matches to help put GCU where it Is, pairing with former high school rival Camden Gianni to get the Lopes there. With five seasons because of the COVID waiver, Janke became a lineup staple with only a five-match stretch missed for an ankle injury.
The Janke career highlight reel is nearly full, but there is one image that stands out over any kill, ace or dig for Werle.
"It's just been his smile," Werle said. "He's just seemed loose, and he's had fun this year. That's going to be something I'll hold on to."
For the past five years, Christian Janke was the player with the burning desire to keep fanning the flames until the Lopes blazed a trail to the NCAA tournament stage.
After 121 matches, 149 aces, 1,286 kills and countless intangibles, Janke has ascended the program with his game to put GCU in its first NCAA tournament appearance on Tuesday after its winningest season (22-7)."Getting to this moment was all that mattered," said Janke, who was the Lopes players to be honored on the All-America second team last season. "Every single game, I've put all my effort into it for the last five years to lead up to this final moment of making the tournament. You can't really write a better book than that. It's a super-cool experience, but it hasn't fully hit me yet. I need to focus on winning, so I'm not going to let it hit me until afterward."
When GCU meets Long Beach State (20-4) in Fairfax, Virginia, on Tuesday in the seven-team national championship tourney, Janke will be completing an arc that began as part of one of Werle's first recruiting classes.
Werle was stunned that a player with his powerful arm, back-row ability and volleyball intelligence was available in Carlsbad, California. Janke, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter, was looking for a college home where he could pursue volleyball and engineering.
"It's been way more than everything I wanted," Janke said. "It just felt like I was supposed to go here on my visit. Something was drawing me. I thought, 'This is where I need to be,' because of the atmosphere."It's so fulfilling in everything I could've wanted. I'm stoked that I chose here."
Janke instantly became a starter and progressed with each season, hitting better than .300 in his final two Lopes seasons while improving his defense and serve/receive game to add to his aggressive serves. He has averaged nearly three kills per set and ranks fifth nationally among active players for career kills, including a program-record 31-kill match against BYU last season.
"He has gone over and above whatever I thought he'd be able to achieve," Werle said. "That's with the accolades and what he has dedicated to this program. He has been there alongside me, and he's so helpful in the amount of times I bounce things off him or empower him to make a choice. It's been a tremendous part of his growth."
All the while, Janke finished a Mechanical Engineering degree with a 3.85 GPA and will finish a master's in Business Administration in September. The structure of a student-athlete schedule helped him to be disciplined about his difficult field of study early in weeks and to teach himself topics when he missed class for road trips.Janke showed the same dedication to annual focus areas of improvement that he took to the court, where he and Werle connect innately.
"We talk about it all the time like we don't like each other, but it's because we are so similar, and we understand exactly what the other is thinking all the time without talking," Janke said. "We're always on the same page. When I'm on the court, it translates. When he looks at me, it's like, 'OK, yeah.' "
That investment in the program, his coach and his university is why this moment means so much to Janke.
After the final regular-season match and the final conference tournament match, Janke looked at Grayson Browning, another member of that cultural cornerstone class of 2018. Janke saw the emotions building in his teammate and cut him off each time, reminding him that there is more Lopes volleyball for them to play.
They had to wait through the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday before they knew that their No. 5 national ranking in NCAA Ratings Percentage Index carried to an at-large berth.
"This is the legacy I wanted to create because it helps recruiting and relieves stress of finally getting there for the future years," Janke said. "Now, there's this standard that is set that is a lot higher than it has been. Future teams will be more cognizant of what it takes, what you need to do and the chemistry it takes
"I didn't know leaving a legacy was my goal because you don't think of that as a freshman, but now that I've done it, it's the most important thing – how I affect people after me."
It took Janke's relentless effort through practices and matches to help put GCU where it Is, pairing with former high school rival Camden Gianni to get the Lopes there. With five seasons because of the COVID waiver, Janke became a lineup staple with only a five-match stretch missed for an ankle injury.
The Janke career highlight reel is nearly full, but there is one image that stands out over any kill, ace or dig for Werle.
"It's just been his smile," Werle said. "He's just seemed loose, and he's had fun this year. That's going to be something I'll hold on to."
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