Reverse sweep backs over Pepperdine

Thursday, September 18

Tempe, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

7-2,0-0Mountain West

Pepperdine

5-4,0-0WCC

Pepperdine

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Seth Davis

9/18/2025 10:14:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score

GCU paced by Ramirez's career-high 23 kills, Goodere's 13 kills, 7 blocks

By: Paul Coro

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Grand Canyon volleyball bus could have pulled out of Tempe an hour earlier with lessons learned for another day in the practice gym.

Postgame Lopes Up

These Lopes learn in real time.

GCU lost the first two sets to Pepperdine on Thursday night but fought off two fourth-set match points amid a 180-degree turn that spun the Lopes' first reverse-sweep win since October 2023.

The GCU rally required career-best performances from senior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez and sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Goodere for the Lopes to crash the Waves with a 18-25, 21-25, 25-17, 26-24, 15-12 win.

Pepperdine, picked second in the WCC preseason coaches' poll, beat No. 19 UCLA this season and led GCU by as many as 10 points in the first set before the Lopes caught up to the Waves' fast attack.

"We were clawing back in Set 2 and went down 0-2, but we played them better as we kept going," GCU head coach Kendra Potts said. "We continued getting better defending them. I don't feel like we're ever out of the game, but it's also getting the girls to believe they're never out of the game. We've been working really hard on not playing emotionally and sitting in something that's not feeling good. They applied that."

Bella Anderson and Anaelena Ramirez

On her way to a career-high 23 kills, Ramirez put down GCU's first three points of the second set to begin shifting momentum in a match she called "electric." The Lopes' service game put pressure on the Waves with four aces in the set, but GCU never led despite tying the score twice.

"We were fired up," Ramirez said of the 2-0 hole. "We choose to not dwell on things, and (assistant coach) Evan (Larson) called us out and told us to rise to the occasion of being better volleyball players and playing our standard of volleyball."

GCU started a block party in the third set, with Goodere being a part of three blocks during a 6-0 run that gave the Lopes their first lead of the match and then more at 9-4.

With seven blocks in the set, GCU kept Pepperdine to .000 hitting and stretched the margin to a 25-17 win with freshman middle blocker Aubrey Bellus' breakout performance.

The 6-foot-2 Mesa Mountain View High School graduate recorded four kills and three blocks in the tide-turning set. She finished with seven kills, four blocks and three aces.

"She gives us some offensive presence and helps to create seams for other hitters," Potts said. "I love her physicality. I love that she plays loose and free, but she also contributed well on the block. She did the little things that may not be as loud on the box score, but she did a good job to slow things down so we could get some defense behind that block."

From 10-10 in the fourth set, GCU never led until it ended the 26-24 set win on a 4-0 run to extend the match.

Ramirez pounded eight kills in the set, including the closing point set up by freshman Bella Nunez's serve.

Goodere carried over the momentum, smashing two kills and a block during GCU's 5-0 start.

"Aubrey Goodere had herself a night," Potts said of Goodere's career-high 13 kills to go with seven blocks. "That's what we know she's capable of. Her block game individually was a spark plug to get us back into it."

Pepperdine fought back to take 11-10 and 12-11 leads in the deciding set before Ramirez's career evolution showed in the clutch with a tip and a throw during the Lopes' 4-0 finish.

"One is not like the other," Potts said of Ramirez's one-year improvement. "This is the coolest transition and growth I've seen out of a player individually that I can remember as a coach. She's carrying a load. She's the go-to person in high-pressure situations, and you could see she's thriving in it right now."

Thursday's win marked the opening of three straight days of matches at Arizona State, where GCU will play Milwaukee at 3 p.m. Friday before facing the eighth-ranked host Sun Devils at 5 p.m. Saturday in Desert Financial Arena. The Thursday night win made GCU the first team to give Pepperdine a five-set loss since last September.

"It verifies that our hard work is doing good and we're building on stuff," Goodere said. "Even with the setback in Set 2, we came back and were as strong as ever."