Season's 1st loss comes at Wake Forest

Sunday, August 27

Winston-Salem, N.C.

10 a.m.

Grand Canyon

2-1,0-0WAC

Wake Forest

3-0,0-0ACC

Grand Canyon

Wake Forest

8/27/2023 2:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Momentum shift results in GCU losing 3-1 to tournament host

By: Adrianna Candelaria

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Despite winning seven consecutive sets to open the season, Grand Canyon's sweep streak came to a close Sunday with a 3-1 loss at Wake Forest.

Led offensively by sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott with a .325 hitting percentage, 23 points, 18 kills and 11 digs for her first double-double of the year, the Lopes dropped a 25-17, 21-25, 25-27, 16-25 match to the Demon Deacons. Parrott also tied her single-game career service ace record with a team-leading total of four on the Wake Forest Tournament's final day.

Four additional Lopes posted single-game career highs as well, including junior outside hitter Stella Gkiourda with nine kills and 11 digs, junior middle blocker Sydney Reed with eight blocks, sophomore libero Tatum Thomas at eight assists, and senior outside hitter Ashley Lifgren with four block assists.

With every offensive threat at the net for Wake Forest (3-0) standing at least 6 feet tall, it was imperative for GCU (2-1) to be strong defensively in Sunday's match. Impressively, the Lopes outblocked the Demon Deacons 11-6 and went almost dig for dig at 61 and 68, respectively. Thomas led the Lopes with 25 digs, and even scored two points with a kill and a service ace.

Aggressive serving strategies were a double-edged sword for both teams as GCU notched nine aces with 15 service errors, while Wake Forest posted four and 12, respectively.

The Lopes came out guns blazing in the first set, locking in a .345 hitting percentage and building a 21-12 lead on a 4-0 run with a kill and service ace from Parrott, a Wake Forest error and a kill by Lifgren. With assists from all-tournament, graduate, setter Klaire Mitchell, Lifgren and Reed respectively finished off the set.

After ultimately dropping the second set, GCU struck first in the third frame with a big solo block by sophomore middle blocker Trista Strasser. The third set was either team's game with nine lead changes and 15 ties. With Wake Forest ahead 23-24, Reed and Mitchell posted a block to even the score and Mitchell followed with an ace to make it a GCU set point at 25-24. But the Demon Deacons tied the match again and prevailed 27-25.

What started as fiercely competitive fizzled by the fourth frame. In an extreme exhange of momentum, GCU fell to .125 hitting while Wake Forest rose to .317. The Lopes seemed uncharacteristically out of sorts, slipping into a 12-point pit of quicksand. It wasn't until the Demon Deacons reached match point at 24-12 that the Lopes buckled down for a late 4-0 push.

GCU will host its first home tournament with Long Island, Iowa State and Arizona next weekend (Sept. 1-3) at GCU Arena.