Offensive distribution leads Lopes to WAC title match

Friday, November 22

Arlington, Texas

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

20-10,11-5WAC

(3) Utah Valley

20-10,10-6WAC

Utah Valley

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Nathan Peters

11/22/2024 8:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Parrott, Lifgren utilize season-high 57 assists in 3-1 victory over Utah Valley

By: Nathan Peters

ARLINGTON, Texas — Grand Canyon is heading back to the WAC Tournament championship match for the second straight season after defeating Utah Valley in four sets Friday.

The second-seeded Lopes (20-10) balanced the attack with a season-high 57 assists leading to 58 kills in a 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 22-17 semifinal victory. No. 2 seed GCU will face No. 1 seed and tournament host UT Arlington (28-2), which won a five-set semifinal against California Baptist, at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time) for the title and an NCAA tournament automatic berth.

In a semifinal match full of big swings, GCU found veteran outside hitters Tatum Parrott and Ashley Lifgren for a combined 38 kills.

"Leaf (Lifgren) and Tatum are capable of taking over matches," GCU head coach Kendra Potts said. "These are matches where you want to get out of the way and let them play free, and that's exactly what they did."

Parrot had a four-set season high of 22 kills to go with eight digs, three total blocks and two service aces. Lifgren, in her fifth and final season, tied her season high with 16 kills.

"I also want to attribute a lot of that success to how the setters were getting the ball into that location and the sweet spot, so they could just attack that seam," Potts said. "Utah Valley is one of the best blocking teams, if not the best blocking team in the conference. I thought our setters did good distributing and putting it in the right spot, but they were still patient."

Graduate setter Ava Mason dished out 20 assists with nine digs while freshman setter Taylor Kubacak accounted for 26 assists with eight digs.

The Lopes began the match down a set after Utah Valley opened strongly with All-WAC first-team outside hitters Averi Shewell and Sami Blackett leading a 25-23 win.

"With teams like Utah Valley, just having really strong outsides that have incredible range, it takes a second to learn them and figure them out," Potts said. "(Graduate libero) Mykenna (Nelson), after the first set, didn't have any digs, and that's not because she wasn't playing well. I think they were trying to avoid her, but also, they're just that good."

GCU regrouped and jumped out to a 7-3 lead from back-to-back Parrott aces.

Utah Valley tied the match at 23-23 before junior opposite Magdalena Juric's kill set up the Lopes for Parrott to finish the set 25-23. Nelson assisted the kill in a match where finished with nine digs and six assists.

"I appreciated how we learned them as we went and we didn't let something repetitively beat us," Potts said. "Once we saw it, we took that away and we made them go for something different. And so defensively, I thought it was a balanced night overall. You look at the box score and everybody contributed in some kind of way."

The third set found GCU with a 21-16 lead off of a Juric and Strasser block. Strasser closed the match with four kills, six digs and six blocks. Strasser's dig count matched her career high for a second consecutive match.

The Lopes later found Lifgren off a Kubacak assist to close the set 25-22 and take a 2-1 match lead.

The fourth set was the Lopes' most efficient offensively, landing 17 kills on .333 hitting.

Junior opposite Anaelena Ramirez gave the Lopes a 21-15 fourth-set lead with a kill that was among the El Paso native's nine kills on the evening.

Another difference-making player for the Lopes was sophomore defensive specialist Bella Anderson.

"It is something that people don't get to see on a box score," Potts said of Anderson's play. "One of the best of passers, I think in the conference, I could say even in the country. She is just steady back there. She keeps us in system, and she's just doesn't get shook up."

The Lopes closed the match with three of its final four kills coming from Lifgren to seal the semifinal with a set score of 25-17.

Following GCU's semifinal, UT Arlington's 19th consecutive victory came with a battle. The Mavericks defeated No. 5 seed California Baptist 16-25, 25-18, 15-25, 15-10. The Lopes lost twice to UT Arlington this season.

"We got ourselves here, and it doesn't matter who's on the other side when you're in a championship match," Potts said prior to the second semifinal. "Regardless of the matchup, I want these girls just to realize they deserve to be here. They fought their way here. We hope to get their best, and we're going to give them our best."