Final home matches bring on Pepperdine

Thursday, April 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Pepperdine

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Jack Gilday

4/10/2024 6:14:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Historic senior class set for celebration on Friday at GCU

By: Nathan Peters


No. 3 Grand Canyon Lopes (20-4, 8-2 MPSF)	at	No. 9 Pepperdine Waves (17-8, 5-5 MPSF)
		Thursday-Friday, April 11-12 6 p.m./6 p.m., Global Credit Union Arena at GCU
Match Notes		Live Stats Live Stream

The third-ranked Grand Canyon men's volleyball team is set to host ninth-ranked Pepperdine in the final matches of the regular season this weekend, as well as the last home matches for six Lopes seniors.

Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.

3 THINGS TO KNOW

BATTLE BACK: The last time the Lopes were coming off a loss, they ended up responding with five consecutive wins, including a dramatic reverse sweep to start the winning streak.
MILESTONES IN THE MAKING: In the final matches of the regular season, GCU players will look to make history in multiple career categories. senior Camden Gianni is just seven kills away from moving into second place all-time in Lopes kills. In addition, Gianni will look to beat his own season record for aces. He is only one behind last year's record of 49. Junior setter Nicholas Slight's 2,666 assists stands 71 shy of moving into second place all-time.
HISTORY: The Lopes last faced Pepperdine in the 2023 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship, where they won 3-0. In that match, middle blocker Rico Wardlow and Slight each had five assisted blocks, helping to reduce the Pepperdine execution.

SCOUTING PEPPERDINE

Pepperdine enters this weekend on a rough four-game patch, losing three of the four with one win coming against USC. The last match was a loss to The Master's. which went to five sets after Pepperdine won the first two. The Waves are a force to be reckoned with, having the MPSF leader in kills per set with Cole Ketrzynski's 3.68, along with Ethan Watson's 1.37 MPSF-leading blocks per set.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Following Friday evening's senior celebration and match against the Waves, the Lopes will prepare for the MPSF Championship, where they will either be the first or second seed depending on the weekend's results.

For more GCU men's volleyball news, notes and numbers, click here to view the match notes.