No. 2 GCU sweeps No. 10 USC

Saturday, February 24

Phoenix, Ariz.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

13-0,4-0MPSF

USC

10-6,2-2MPSF

Southern California

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Nate Cochran

2/24/2024 10:13:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Lopes record 9th 3-0 win of season, improve to 13-0 with 4-0 MPSF record

By: Jerob Moon

The change of venues did not affect the No. 2 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team as they rolled to a 3-0 sweep over No. 10 USC at Antelope Gym on Saturday.

After welcoming a season-high 2,067 fans to Global Credit Union Arena on Friday, the Lopes (13-0, 4-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) moved to Antelope Gymnasium on Saturday. The result: a sold-out match with 1,021 fans packing a gym where the Lopes own an 84-59 all-time record on the west side of campus.

The Lopes took the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-21, before saving four set points to eventually win 30-28 in the third set. GCU hit .381 in a balanced offensive attack with three players in double-figure kills, thanks to 44 assists from junior setter Nicholas Slight.

"Nic has done a really nice job of distributing the ball," GCU head coach Matt Werle said. "We have weapons, and there is nothing predictable about what we do offensively when we're in system. At any given point, anyone on the floor can score for us. It's fun, I wish I was Nic, I would love to set this team as an ex-setter. All our guys are special."

Fueled by the home crowd, the Lopes jumped out to the 25-18 first-set win with .565 hitting. Outside hitters Jackson Hickman and Karter Rogers led the way with four kills each in an offensive-driven set. It was a back-and-forth contest to get to a 10-10 tie. GCU went on a 3-0 run, capped off with an ace from Hickman, and did not surrender the lead the rest of the set. Another 5-1 run late in the set doubled the lead at 20-14 and GCU closed out the frame off a pair of USC attacking errors.

The Lopes took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-21 second-set win. Both teams cooled off offensively, hitting below .300, but the Lopes dominated the service line with five aces. USC took its largest lead of the set at 14-11 with an extended 8-3 run, but the Lopes answered with a 7-1 run to flip the scoreboard and lead 18-15. The Trojans got within a point at 20-19, but GCU halted the momentum and ended the set on a 5-2 run.

Both teams saved the most entertaining set for last with GCU winning 30-28. The Lopes overcame a 6-2 deficit, starting with a 7-2 run that grabbed their first lead at 9-8. The Lopes uncharacteristically struggled at the service line with nine errors and just one ace in the set.

"Our guys have been pretty good late in matches," Werle said. "There have been a lot of deuce sets that our guys have pulled out. I think the biggest piece to me that I'm disappointed with is how we served in the third set. We took our foot off the gas, I'm not sure if we started feeling a little bit of pressure."

The third-set score was tied or within a point the rest of the way. USC took a 25-24 lead and the Lopes went on to save three set points to tie the score at 27-27. A service ace and subsequent service error from GCU middle blocker Rico Wardlow tied the match again at 28-28, but the Lopes earned their first match point off a Trojan service error.

That one opportunity was all they needed as Gianni batted down a USC overpass and clinched the match. It was the 12th kill of the match for the senior opposite as he tied Hickman for the team lead.

With the win, the Lopes opened a one-game MPSF lead on second-place UCLA. Sitting at 4-0 in the conference, the Lopes will welcome Stanford next weekend to Phoenix for Friday and Sunday conference matches.