MW era opens with 4-set loss to Boise State

Thursday, September 25

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

8-4,0-1Mountain West

Boise State

9-3,1-0Mountain West

Boise St.

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Jayden Todd

9/25/2025 9:53:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Lopes' Nunez notches 2nd career triple-double in Bronco comeback

By: Nathan Peters

Grand Canyon volleyball opened the Lopes' Mountain West era with a first-set win Thursday night before the match flipped into a 3-1 loss to Boise State in front of 1,514 fans at Global Credit Union Arena.

The Broncos (9-3, 1-0 MW) won 23–25, 29–27, 25–17, 25–15 after the Lopes (8–4, 0–1 MW) had started strongly with a first-set win and a pair of set points in the second set.

In the opening set, GCU established momentum with five Lopes recording the team's first six kills. Lopes senior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez and freshman opposite Macey Hughes sparked the attack early, while graduate middle blocker Hayden Goodman and freshman setter/opposite Bella Nunez helped slow down the Broncos with key blocks.

Late in the frame, Nunez put away a kill to close a 5-1 run and the 25–23 set win.

Nunez, a native of El Paso, Texas, posted her second career triple-double by the first point of the fourth set and finished with 11 kills, 15 assists and 22 digs.

The second set was a back-and-forth battle and proved to be the turning point of the night.

GCU built a 20–15 lead with Hughes finding seams on the pin and Ramirez delivering kills. The block also came alive, with sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Goodere and Nunez combining for stops that energized the arena.

Boise State responded with a five-point surge to erase the lead, and GCU needed to fight off two set points at 24-22 with kills from Nunez and Goodere.

The Lopes held 26-25 and 27-26 leads before the Broncos won three straight points to win the set 29-27 and even the match at 1-1.

Boise State carried that momentum into the third set, taking advantage of Lopes errors and extending rallies with strong back-row defense.

The set was tied at 13-13, but the Broncos pulled away and closed a 25–17 decision.

The fourth set saw the visitors continue to dictate pace. Although Goodere chipped in blocks and Nunez posted digs to extend rallies, Boise State's efficiency at the net put the Lopes on the defensive. The Broncos pulled away to finish the match with the 25–15 set win.

Ramirez added nine kills, eight digs and four block assists. Hughes chipped in eight kills on .208 hitting, and Goodere tallied five kills with six blocks.

Goodman added seven total blocks. Kubacak contributed 13 assists and 10 digs.

GCU outblocked the conference leaders 17-13 and held them to .190 hitting, but 57 kills from the Broncos overcame the Lopes.

GCU will host Mountain West preseason No. 1 pick Utah State on Saturday with a 1 p.m. start time. The Aggies swept New Mexico 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 on Thursday night in Albuquerque, New Mexico.