GCU cruises past Belmont Abbey in 3-0 win

Friday, January 31

Reno, Nev.

8 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-1,0-0MPSF

Belmont Abbey

1-3,0-0Conference Carolinas

Grand Canyon

Belmont Abbey

Photo by: Slate Mitchell

1/31/2025 10:23:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Opening night of showcase develops depth, shows experience ahead of gauntlet schedule

By: Nathan Peters

RENO, Nev. – The No. 11 Grand Canyon men's volleyball team opened the Silver State Showcase in efficient fashion with a 3-0 win Friday against 2024 NCAA tournament qualifier Belmont Abbey

The event's opening match showcased the Lopes' offense and the depth that is showing in a 6-1 start to the season.

GCU finished the match in under an hour and a half with a first set that was highlighted by four kills and three digs from graduate outside hitter Karter Rogers to go along with three kills from freshman middle blocker Trevell Jordan. Each Lope hit .333 in the set.

Rogers went on to close the night with a team-high nine kills while Jordan finished with six on a .455 hitting clip.

The first set was highlighted by GCU taking a 6-1 lead and staying in control until a Belmont Abbey service error ended the set at 25-21.

The highlight of the second set came from freshman outside hitter Connor Oldani, who entered the match off the bench. Oldani hit .625 for five kills in the second set alone.

The set was tied at 4-4 before a 6-2 GCU run gave the Lopes some distance.

An assisted block from senior Cole Duncanson, junior Trent Moser and Oldani ignited the run.

Duncanson and Moser, two of GCU's three transfers, only played for limited time in the first two sets before Lopes head coach Matt Werle went to his depth more..

"It was nice to get some of our bench guys some time on the court," Werle said. "It is really important that they have in-match experience, and Connor did some really nice things along with some time for Kyle Zediker. We know that Jarrett Anderson is obviously going to take care of his business."

Anderson, a graduate opposite, played in the third set with Zediker, a freshman setter.

Anderson, a key piece in the Lopes' 2024 MPSF Championship win, is working back from an injury and had two kills and four digs in the third set.

The Lopes won the second set 25-17 off another service error. The close of the set ended the night for junior setter Jaxon Herr, who added 19 assists in the GCU win.

The Lopes started the third set in a 4-0 lead with Jordan adding two blocks. Fellow freshman middle blocker Braedon Marquardt entered the match in the third set, tallying a kill with the assist coming from Anderson to put the Lopes lead to 18-13.

Marquardt totaled three kills on three swings with the third paving the way for Oldani to finish the 25-16 set win and the match sweep.

The Lopes will play Fort Valley State on Saturday at 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) in the Reno Convention Center for their second match of the Silver State Showcase.

Fort Valley State, another 2024 NCAA tournament qualifer, lost 3-0 to No. 1 Long Beach State earlier Friday evening.

"We are definitely going to have to tidy some things up," Werle said. "We played a lot of out balls, and I think our first contact at times just really was not as clean as we would like it to be. We need to be better moving forward and make sure that we take opportunities that when we're on the court we can get better each day."