Sweep win caps pivotal week of change

Saturday, October 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-7,2-4Mountain West

New Mexico

8-9,0-6Mountain West

New Mexico

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Jayden Todd

10/11/2025 5:14:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score

Defense, huge home crowd propel GCU's 3-0 victory vs. New Mexico

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon volleyball was always closer than the early Mountain West results indicated.

The Lopes just needed a week like this one to show it, as the Lopes followed up a Thursday night win at UNLV with a Saturday home sweep of New Mexico in front of 4,408 fans at Global Credit Union Arena.

An 0-4 start to Mountain West play against top conference teams was more crack then crumble. GCU (10-7, 2-4 MW) was building its foundation, proving firm when it carried over Thursday's success to find winning ways against New Mexico early before dominating later in the 25-22, 25-22, 25-17 victory.

"Each game, we were still growing," Lopes junior libero Bella Anderson said. "It's not like they were bad games. Now, we're finally seeing the payoff.

"It's really fun to get the payoff of everything we've been working through. We've had a long three or four weeks of hard training and now we're getting the benefits of it."

GCU held New Mexico to the Lopes' second-lowest opponent hitting percentage of the season (.066) with the impetus of 13 total blocks and 59 digs, both of which were the Lopes' second-best totals in a three-set match this season. Anderson's 17 digs established her career high for a three-set match.

Aubrey Goodere and Bella Nunez

For the second time in three days, GCU freshman setter/opposite Bella Nunez recorded a triple-double to rank second nationally with four triple-doubles this season. She matched her season high of 11 kills Saturday with her best hitting (.429) since Sept. 5 and added 14 assists and 12 digs.

Nunez was integral to the Lopes' rallies from deficits in each of the first two sets, including delivering kills on three consecutive GCU points in the second set to spark an 8-2 close for a 2-0 match lead.

The Lopes took control earlier in the third set, when a 6-0 run widened their lead to 20-12 after three of the streak's last four points came on Anderson aces.

"It might not be the fastest," Anderson said of her serve notching 16 aces this season. "It might not be the strongest. I'm not a hitter, but I catch people off-guard and trick them up."

GCU went from hitting .140 and .125 in the first two grind-it-out sets to crisply hitting .273 with sophomore setter Taylor Kubacak recording nine of her 19 assists in the last set.

"We just had the mentality of balling out again," Kubacak said. "Staying hungry was the mentality going into this game.

"Don't let up, put that gas on. We know we're good. We just needed to get that one win under our belt and keep grinding and trust our training. There was no reason for us to think, 'What do we need to fix?' It was that we needed to go out and stay hungry. The conference doesn't end after four matches."

As it follows its "1/20th" mantra for every roster player's importance, roles have evolved with Nunez being joined by freshman classmates in key roles. Middle blocker Aubrey Bellus moved into a starting role, but graduate middle blocker Hayden Goodman subbed for two kills and three blocks in two sets.

Point celebration

Serbian 6-foot-4 freshman opposite Ana Jaramazovic had four kills on the season before averaging 5.5 kills in the past four Lopes matches. She hit .455 Saturday with a season-high six digs and season-high matching four blocks.

GCU senior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez registered a team-best 13 kills with at least four in each set. Junior outside hitter Sophia Österdahl has been adding an in-match change of pace and has posted 20 of her season's 34 kills in the past three matches.

Exemplifying the Lopes' depth, Österdahl delivered four kills and a block in the dominant third set.

"We got better and cleaner as we went," Potts said. "If you're cleaning up and learning from them as you go, you're applying.

"You've got to nurture mindset and confidence whenever you go 0-4. We needed to find where we were still growing even though the result wasn't getting us a W. The belief has got to stay there."

Saturday's crowd rivaled the atmosphere of GCU volleyball's opening night, when Lope-A-Palooza fills the arena.

"It was like Lope-A-Palooza," Anderson said. "The community here is awesome. It was so awesome to see all the families out there together celebrating GCU and GCU volleyball, especially on Faith and Family Day."

Anderson added, "It was insane. I love it when so many people come to our games. It was heartwarming, but at the same time, it makes me want to ball out more. Somebody told me in high school, 'I love watching your game because I'm buying a ticket for entertainment.' I was like, 'OK, then I'm going to put on a show.' "

Next week, GCU will play at MW leader San Diego State on Thursday night before a rematch with the Lobos one week later in Albuquerque, New Mexico.