Banner raising sets expectations in 3-1 win

Friday, January 12

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-0,0-0MPSF

Lindenwood

0-1,0-0MIVA

Lindenwood

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

1/12/2024 9:05:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes' hot hitting continues for 1st home victory in 4-0 start

By: Jerob Moon

The No. 6 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team opened the home schedule with a 3-1 win over Lindenwood on Friday night at Global Credit Union Arena.

Before the match, the Lopes (4-0) honored the 2023 team with the program's first NCAA tournament banner while honoring the coaches and current and former players from last year's team. The pregame ceremony included 17 returning players and two graduates on the court.

"It started off really special, putting that NCAA tournament appearance banner in the rafters," GCU head coach Matt Werle said. "It's permanent, and I think it's really special for that group. We need to strive to make sure that we are adding to that, if not changing that banner into something else with different wording as opposed to 'appearance.' "

Once the match got underway, it was Lindenwood (0-1) that started out strong for a first-set win. But the lead was short-lived as the Lopes won three straight sets, hitting a season-high .400 MVB 2023 banner

and with senior opposite Camden Gianni leading the way with 15 kills and four aces.

In Lindenwood's 25-23 win in the first set, the Lions jumped out to a 7-2 lead and held it the rest of the way trthanks to a strong .400 hitting percentage while the Lopes struggled to find a rhythm at just .292. GCU senior outside hitter Jackson Hickman had two straight kills to get within one at 24-23, but the Lions' RaShawn Bonner ended the set with his second kill.

"The guys definitely stepped up to the occasion after the first set," Werle said. "It's like we almost wait for a team to get out to a quick start before we respond. We're trying to make sure we start out strong from Set 1 and Point 1, as opposed to waiting for somebody to do something and now it's a reaction instead of doing it from the get-go."

The Lopes responded in the second set in a big way, winning 25-13 for their highest margin of victory this season. With the team hitting .519 with just two attacking errors in 27 attempts, Gianni delivered five kills with no errors and a pair of service aces for a 17-6 GCU lead. Lopes junior setter Nicholas Slight had 11 of his 47 assists in the set as six of his teammates recorded a kill.

Gianni Lindenwood

The third set was more of the same in a 25-18 GCU win with the Lopes hitting .417. Gianni again led the way with four kills and two more aces. The GCU senior now has 13 aces in 14 sets played this season. After earning a gold medal with Team USA at the Pan American Final Six over the summer, Gianni has been off to a blistering start in 2024.

"This was his second summer in the USA gym," Werle said. "The first summer was a little bit eye-opening, playing with guys where this sport is their profession instead of going to school and playing volleyball. So, I think it was a little eye-opening the first summer. This year, he found a ton of success with that group. It helped him mature, and it put him in difficult situations against some crazy talent across the net.

"It seems like the game now has slowed down for him and he's only continuing to get better."

The Lopes wrapped up the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth set. Hickman had his best set of the night, collecting five of his 14 kills while GCU senior middle blocker Rico Wardlow registered four kills without an error. For Wardlow, it was his second straight match hitting over .700 as he finished with nine kills on .818 hitting. Through the first four matches, Wardlow has 26 kills with just three attacking errors.

The Lopes will wrap up the opening homestand with a rematch against Lindenwood on Sunday at noon in Global Credit Union Arena.