Completed Event: Volleyball at Arizona State on March 20, 2026 ,
Volleyball
at Arizona State
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Wesley Kurz
Led by POY Parrott, Lopes take 1st in WAC coaches' poll
8/23/2024 12:00:00 PM | Volleyball
GCU’s Lifgren, Strasser also land on Preseason All-WAC Team
The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team earned first in the WAC coaches' preseason poll, which also selected Lopes junior outside hitter Tatum Parrott as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
Both accolades mark the first time in program history dating back to 2013, when GCU first joined the WAC.
The Lopes received four first-place votes, earning a total of 60 points to sit just one point ahead of UT Arlington, which received five first-place votes. Along with first place, the Lopes have three Preseason All-WAC athletes in Parrott, Trista Strasser and Ashley Lifgren.
GCU returns from a 23-8 season with a 13-3 conference record and its first WAC Tournament championship and NCAA tournament appearance.
Last season, Parrott led the WAC in kills (416), points per set (5.3) and kills per set (4.5), ranking 23rd, eighth and 10th, respectively, in the nation. Parrott earned American Volleyball Coaches Association and Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mentions, while also being named to the AVCA Pacific South all-region team. Against No.10 Washington State, she complied 12 kills, 13.5 points and a .310 hitting percentage at the NCAA tournament.
Strasser, a senior middle blocker, started in 27 of the Lopes' 30 matches. She tallied 85 kills, 69 total blocks and 13 block solos in 51 conference sets with .358 hitting during her junior campaign. On the season, she scored 199 points (2.12 points per set) with 135 kills (1.44 kills per set).
Lifgren, a native of Peoria, Arizona, appeared in 27 matches with 21 starts for the Lopes. The graduate student scored a career high of 230.5 points, for 2.81 points per set and notched 203 kills (2.48 kills per set) with eight assists. Lifgren recorded 109 digs (1.33 digs per set), nine solo blocks and 33 block assists for .51 blocks per set and a career high of 42 total blocks.
GCU travels to UTEP for an exhibition match on Saturday before regular-season play begins on Aug. 30 in the Lope-A-Palooza home match against Montana.
Both accolades mark the first time in program history dating back to 2013, when GCU first joined the WAC.
The Lopes received four first-place votes, earning a total of 60 points to sit just one point ahead of UT Arlington, which received five first-place votes. Along with first place, the Lopes have three Preseason All-WAC athletes in Parrott, Trista Strasser and Ashley Lifgren.
GCU returns from a 23-8 season with a 13-3 conference record and its first WAC Tournament championship and NCAA tournament appearance.
Last season, Parrott led the WAC in kills (416), points per set (5.3) and kills per set (4.5), ranking 23rd, eighth and 10th, respectively, in the nation. Parrott earned American Volleyball Coaches Association and Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mentions, while also being named to the AVCA Pacific South all-region team. Against No.10 Washington State, she complied 12 kills, 13.5 points and a .310 hitting percentage at the NCAA tournament.
Strasser, a senior middle blocker, started in 27 of the Lopes' 30 matches. She tallied 85 kills, 69 total blocks and 13 block solos in 51 conference sets with .358 hitting during her junior campaign. On the season, she scored 199 points (2.12 points per set) with 135 kills (1.44 kills per set).
Lifgren, a native of Peoria, Arizona, appeared in 27 matches with 21 starts for the Lopes. The graduate student scored a career high of 230.5 points, for 2.81 points per set and notched 203 kills (2.48 kills per set) with eight assists. Lifgren recorded 109 digs (1.33 digs per set), nine solo blocks and 33 block assists for .51 blocks per set and a career high of 42 total blocks.
GCU travels to UTEP for an exhibition match on Saturday before regular-season play begins on Aug. 30 in the Lope-A-Palooza home match against Montana.
Preseason conference awards |
|
| Award | Player, School |
| Setter of the Year | Mollie Blank, UT Arlington |
| Libero of the Year | Lani Matavao, Utah Valley |
| Player of the Year | Tatum Parrott, GCU |
Preseason All-WAC |
|
| Opposite | Nicole Mauser, California Baptist |
| Outside hitter | Ashley Lifgren, GCU |
| Outside hitter | Tatum Parrott, GCU |
| Middle blocker | Trista Strasser, GCU |
| Outside hitter | Arianna Bilby, Seattle U |
| Middle blocker | Emma Burke, Tarleton State |
| Outside hitter | Brianna Ford, UT Arlington |
| Middle blocker | Paige Reagor, UT Arlington |
| Outside hitter | Avery Shewell, Utah Valley |
Preseason coaches poll |
|||
| Rank | Team (first-place votes) | Points | |
| 1 |
 |
Grand Canyon (4) | 60 |
| 2 |
 |
UT Arlington (5) | 59 |
| 3 |
 |
Utah Valley | 50 |
| 4 |
 |
California Baptist | 41 |
| 5 |
 |
Tarleton State | 35 |
| 6 |  |
Abilene Christian | 31 |
| 7 |
 |
Utah Tech | 22 |
| 8 |
 |
Southern Utah | 17 |
| 9 |
 |
Seattle U | 9 |
Players Mentioned
"It would be really cool to beat my mom's record." - Aubrey Goodere | Volleyball
Tuesday, January 06
Bella Nunez | Women's Volleyball
Monday, November 10
Kendra Potts Post Match Press Conference | GCU vs NAU 9.7.25
Monday, September 08
“You don’t know what it’s like.” | The Lope-a-Palooza Experience
Saturday, August 30