Motivated Lopes set to sustain program's success

When a team knows the why, it can better handle the how.

The Grand Canyon beach volleyball team members picked photos representing why they play before their season starts this weekend with the GCU Tournament at GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium. New head coach Abra Rummel put a photo on her desk cabinet of the Lopes celebrating a win against No. 2 TCU last season, while players picked images representing faith, family or the younger versions of themselves who fell in love with the sport.

Whatever the motivation, GCU is aiming to become nation's hardest-working team under Rummel to disprove a No. 14 national ranking that followed back-to-back NCAA tournament seasons with top-10 rankings.

Abra Rummel

The Lopes have the schedule to back their confidence. They play 15 of the other 19 ranked teams, including 12 top-20 matchups in March.

"Before, we had a target on our backs," Rummel said. "Now, we're hunting other people."

Rummel assisted GCU's past three seasons of top-10 performances, including last season ascending as high as No. 6 and finishing at No. 9.

"It's been 10% more enjoyable," Rummel said. "I've been blessed with a really great group of girls who are super bought-in. Whatever I ask for, they give me. I've been coaching long enough to know that's a unique experience."

"I try to be unapologetically myself. I like to think of myself as a strong, confident woman and there are far worse things in life to be than that thing. I really wanted to model who I am for young, impressionable women who are learning more about themselves as they get ready to enter the real world."

With assistant coaches Keone Coronado and Anaya Evans imparting the same message, Rummel exudes intensity and instills confidence to make the offseason transition seamless for players.

"She has so much confidence in us, and we have unwavering confidence in her and the rest of the staff to take care of us and put us in the best position to win," said GCU senior Krista Rowan, a preseason all-conference selection. "Everyone is so bought into the program and what our culture is all about."

Rowan will partner on GCU's No. 1 team with junior Sophia Hladyniuk, who is from near Toronto and transferred to GCU from CSU Bakersfield.

"You want to talk about somebody who's given everything they have to give physically, emotionally, team-wise, Krista has done that," Rummel said of Rowan, the team captain. "She's a wonderful human being. She's made tremendous strides in every part of her game. She's unrecognizable to the player she came or even honestly the player she was last year. She's doing some awesome things and really owning the net."

Even Rowan, a native of nearby Chandler, marvels at her progression to being a No. 1 blocker and leader. She has been paired with Hladyniuk's high-level ability to score as a defender.

"Sophia and I just balance each other out really well," Rowan said. "We're able to run very specific defense seamlessly. We practice really well together, so I'm excited to see when we unlock competition mode with some other faces on the other side. We support each other in all the right ways."

The Lopes' No. 2 team will be senior Noelle Weintraub, a Stetson transfer from Chandler, and freshman Karynn Garrow, who was highly recruited out of Bourne, Texas, and is already much improved.

"If you choose to serve Karynn, you're making a bad choice," Rummel said. "But if you choose Noel, you are also making a bad choice. Super offensive team."

On Court 3, the Lopes will pair returnees in junior Jessica Drake and Sarah Dickson. Drake joined Rowan on the preseason all-conference team after going 15-11 on Courts 4 and 5 last season, when three of her wins came against top-10 opponents. Dickson played every court last season for an 11-3 record but has found her best partner fit to form a split-block team with Drake.

"They're not big, but they are super athletic with great control and have made tremendous strides," Rummel said. "We pushed Jess out of her comfort zone, but she really rose to the occasion and she's doing some phenomenally athletic, super high-level stuff."

Junior Madi Bogle and freshman Adriana Serrano Ferro form a fresh pairing on Court 4. Bogle began her collegiate career with a redshirt year at Hawaii before playing indoor and beach volleyball seasons at Grossmont College in California. Ferro came last summer from Majadahonda, Spain.

"They're a super high-power offensive team," Rummel said. "You talk about some girls who can put some dents in the sand with their attacking, those are the two."

The starting lineup is rounded out by junior Katie Keefe and graduate Mackenzie Harris. Keefe, a London native, was a winter arrival who played beach two years ago at Stetson and played indoor last year at State College of Florida. She uses her 6-foot-2 frame to form a blocker-defender pairing with Harris, who broke into the lineup last season.

"We joke that Mac terrorizes us in practice, just like your classic gnarly defender who digs a ton of balls," Rummel said. "We're really excited for her to be able turn that to the other side."

The season opens Saturday with 10 a.m. and noon matches against Arizona Christian and Ottawa before facing Boise State and UAB at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday at GCU Beach Volleyball Stadium. That will lead into the Battle for L.A. Invitational on March 1-2, when the Lopes will play No. 1 USC, No. 5 Loyola Marymount, No. 10 Long Beach State, No. 12 Georgia State and No. 15 Washington.

"I have no doubt that we're exactly where we're meant to be," Rowan said. "I'm excited to go out and show people what we can do."

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Players Mentioned

Madi Bogle

Sarah Dickson

Jessica Drake

Adriana Ferro

Karynn Garrow

Mackenzie Harris

Sophia Hladyniuk

Katie Keefe

Krista Rowan

Noelle Weintraub

Grand Canyon University Athletics