GCU flips match vs. AFA just like conference results

Thursday, October 30

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

14-8,6-5Mountain West

Air Force

11-12,3-8Mountain West

Air Force

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Seth Davis

10/30/2025 9:29:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes win for 5th time in 6 matches despite dropping 1st set

By: Paul Coro

When Grand Canyon players are midair as a set or incoming hit does not come as expected, they have an intrinsic nature to adjust to the ball.

The same ability to adjust on the fly Is showing in their season and the way they won Thursday night against Air Force. Just as GCU has shaken off an 0-4 Mountain West start to win six of seven matches, the Lopes absorbed a first-set loss Thursday night before grounding Air Force 17-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-19 at Global Credit Union Arena.

Hunter West

GCU (14-8, 6-5 MW) moved into a fifth-place tie with Boise State and sits one game out of third place after hitting .200-plus in each of the final three sets and reintegrating its conference-leading block game.

Air Force, hitting .166 on the season, wiped out a GCU 9-3 start with .428 first-set hitting but then was kept to .116 hitting over the final three sets as the Lopes' versatility proved stronger.

"We're adjusting to each team really well," GCU freshman opposite/setter Bella Nunez said. " Like (head coach) Kendra (Potts) likes to say, 'Learn them as you play.' Every time you play a new team, there's something different. We learn as we go and adjust, and we're adjusting really well."

Nunez was a major part of that with 23 assists, one shy of her season high, and 11 kills on .304 hitting with four digs and three blocks. Senior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez put down a team-best 13 kills on .270 hitting, including the match-clinching kill off a Nunez set.

Air Force (11-12, 3-8 MW) made one attacking error and served three aces in the first set to take a 1-0 lead in GCU's first home match since Oct. 11.

The Lopes, the conference leaders in blocking, recorded one block in the first set but established its defensive strength at the net early in the second set with freshman middle blocker Aubrey Bellus. With Bellus' team-high eight block assists in the match, GCU recorded nine total blocks over the final three sets.

"We started hot and then made some bad assumptions that there was going to be an error made on their side or something was going to be given to us to come back," Potts said. "Air Force is not that team. You've got to earn every point. We got a little bit of a wakeup call, and then I felt like we came to our senses and reset with more purpose."

The Lopes shot out 5-1 in the second set and did not relinquish the lead with Ramirez helping to put away the set with four kills during GCU's 9-3 close.

After Air Force led briefly in the third set, graduate outside hitter Sophia Parlanti delivered four kills in a stretch of six GCU points that retook the lead.

The Lopes' service game, strong all match to tie its season high for aces with eight, picked up timely aces from junior libero Bella Anderson and sophomore setter Taylor Kubacak before Nunez put away the set with a block-kill sequence.

Nunez's distribution stayed strong when GCU created distance in the fourth set, finding sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Goodere twice for kills that sparked a 9-1 run to lead 15-7.

"I feel like I have so many options to set," Nunez said. "Everybody can put the ball down."

Air Force, led by outside hitter Ashley Bible's 19 kills, stayed within striking distance at 21-18, but Ramirez's finale two kills of Nunez assists ended the four-set victory. The Falcons became the Lopes' 12th opponent in 22 matches to hit less than .200.

Celebration

The Lopes' adjustments turned the match, whether it was picking up on Air Force's tendencies or getting slowdowns when they could not get blocks.

Anderson, always strong in serve receive, helped by following up a career-high 24-dig performance last week with another 19 digs Thursday night. Anderson (two), Kubacak (three) and sophomore defensive specialist Natalie Guerrero (three) each had a multiple-ace match.

"We started serving them more aggressive toward the end of the night," Potts said. "We kind of knocked them out of their rhythm and out of their serve receive. It helped us to be able to defend their outsides. Their outsides are super special. We ended up with 10 blocks, and that's good because they're a crafty offensive team."

GCU will play its first consecutive home matches since Oct. 2-4 when its hosts Nevada at 2 p.m. Saturday for Senior Day. Thursday night's match started a four-match homestand before the Lopes' regular season ends with four consecutive road matches.

"Now we've got to bounce back and recover," Potts said. "Nevada has been playing really good, confident volleyball. They too have very strong outsides. The matchup is very similar, but I think Nevada has more size."