Loss marks final road match of regular season

Monday, November 11

Riverside, Calif.

8 p.m.

Grand Canyon

18-9,11-4WAC

California Baptist

6-21,6-9WAC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Grand Canyon	19	20	25	17	1
California Baptist	25	25	22	25	3

Photo by: Nathan Peters

11/11/2024 11:19:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Strasser, Lifgren give high offensive effort in grueling Monday match

By: Nathan Peters

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Grand Canyon fell in four sets to California Baptist in a Monday evening conference road match.

The Lopes (18-9, 11-4 WAC) came into the match on a five-match win streak, but the Lancers (6-21, 6-9 WAC) have caught fire recently, winning five of its last seven. GCU, which closes the regular season at home Thursday, has clinched second place in the WAC because the Lopes have a 1 1/2-game lead on Utah Tech and hold the tiebreaker against the Trailblazers.

GCU, playing without junior outside hitter Tatum Parrott, came into the match ready for a battle from the first serve. The Lopes led early off a crafty point from graduate setter Ava Mason to force a CBU timeout 7-3.

Mason had 20 assists with a season-high tying 14 digs for her second consecutive double-double and third consecutive 20-assist match.

The Lancers went on an 8-0 run to snag the lead back and eventually clinch the first set 25-19.

GCU led 10-7 in the second after a kill by sophomore outside hitter Ellie Frey, who finished the match with nine kills.

California Baptist answered with a run, taking a 21-19 edge before sealing the set 25-20 for a 2-0 match lead with three of its last points contributing to its season-high tying 63 match kills.

The Lopes found success during the third set, when a tag-team block of Frey and senior middle blocker Trista Strasser ignited a 4-0 run with the help of a Lancers error, a kill from freshman middle blocker Aubrey Goodere and a Strasser service ace.

Strasser had 13 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, a collegiate career high.

Ultimately, a Strasser kill by way of freshman setter Taylor Kubacak went along with a CBU error and Strasser's second ace to determine GCU's 25-22 win in the third set.

Kubacak had a double-double match with 18 assists and 11 digs.

Graduate outside Ashley Lifgren had two of her season-high 16 kills to open the fourth set for GCU. Lifgren managed a .361 hitting clip on 36 attempts in the match.

Later in the set, the Lancers used a six-point run to stretch their lead to 17-8 before Lifgren terminated a kill along with two more kills from junior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez, who finished with seven kills.

The Lopes' last gasp came from Kubacak assisting a Lifgren kill before a California Baptist kill finished the night with a 25-17 set win.

GCU graduate libero Mykenna Nelson tallied 13 digs.

The Lopes return home from CBU to play the last match of the season against Abilene Christian (Nov.14) before the WAC Tournament begins on Nov. 21 in Arlington, Texas.