No. 2 Lopes improve to 10-0 with sweep at No. 6 BYU

Friday, February 16

Provo, Utah

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-0,1-0MPSF

BYU

9-4,0-1MPSF

Grand Canyon

BYU

Photo by: BYU Athletics

2/16/2024 9:47:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

GCU wins MPSF opener in shutout after marathon opening set

By: Jerob Moon

PROVO, Utah – The No. 2 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team oepned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play with a 3-0 sweep at No. 6 BYU on Friday night.

The Lopes (10-0, 1-0 MPSF) entered as the only undefeated team in the country and extended the unbeaten streak in hostile territory with the 34-32, 25-23, 25-23 victory in front of 3,944 fans at Smith Fieldhouse. Despite a .223 hitting mark, the lowest of the season, the Lopes found a way to close out sets. The first two frames were clinched by GCU blocks and junior Karter Rogers ended the match with a final kill in a match that featured 44 ties and 23 lead changes.

The first set was the most entertaining, with GCU winning the longest set of the year at 34-32.There were combined 12 match points and the set featured 22 ties and 10 lead changes. The Lopes hit a match-low .108 but stepped up on defense, recording six blocks and a .958 reception percentage on 23 attempts.

Down 21-20, the Lopes went on a 4-1 run to hold a 24-21 advantage but were unable to close it out and BYU (9-4, 0-1 MPSF) answered back with four straight points to push the set to extras. It was a back-and-forth battle, and the Cougars took a 31-30 lead on a kill by Luke Benson.

GCU senior middle blocker Rico Wardlow stepped up late in the set, collecting a kill and a block assist with GCU outside hitter Jackson Hickman to get GCU a match point at 32-31. Hickman had an attacking error on the next point, but the Lopes were right back in the lead thanks to a BYU service error. Leading 33-32, it was junior setter Nicholas Slight's solo block on Benson that cliched the marathon set.

Pouncing on the momentum, the Lopes regained their composure in the second set, winning 25-23 thanks to a match-high .393 hitting. Slight dished the ball around for 11 assists and recorded a pair of kills. Wardlow extended his perfect hitting mark from the first set, converting on his ninth consecutive attack to tie the set at 16-16. Late in the set again, the Lopes converted scoring chances. Tied at 23-23, senior opposite Camden Gianni collected a kill that set up Wardlow's and Rogers' block to complete the set.

The Lopes finished the sweep in the third set with another close 25-23 win. With their backs against the wall, the Cougars jumped out to an 8-4 lead, but the Lopes clawed their way back to lead 14-13 after a 6-2 run. Sophomore middle blocker Cameron Thorne, who had a great game defensively with a match-high seven block assists, contributed on offense with four kills at an .800 clip.

The Lopes took the lead at 17-15 off a kill by Hickman and led the rest of the set. Rogers recorded the final kill of the night as BYU suffered its first sweep since March 3, 2023, which was another shutout at the hands of the Lopes.

Gianni led the way for GCU with 12 kills while Wardlow added an efficient 10 kills with just one error on 14 swings. Wardlow extended his MPSF best hitting mark to .558. Junior libero Cooper Herndon collected a career-high 12 digs while finishing with a perfect reception percentage on 17 attempts.

GCU and BYU will meet again Saturday at Smith Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. (Phoenix time).