Lopes persevere in gutsy 5-setter over Washington State

Saturday, September 6

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

5-0,0-0Mountain West

Washington State

2-3,0-0WCC

Washington St.

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Bryce Fairchild

Lopes persevere in gutsy 5-setter over Washington State

9/6/2025 11:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Ramirez records career-high 20 kills, Nunez adds triple-double to lead Lopes

By: Nathan Peters

Grand Canyon battled in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, outlasting Washington State in a five-set win full of haymakers at Global Credit Union Arena.

The 29-27, 25-21, 17-25, 21-25, 15-12 victory extended the Lopes' unbeaten start to 5-0 in the nonconference portion of their inaugural Mountain West season. The win additionally served as revenge for a road loss to the Cougars in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Senior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez powered GCU with a match-high 20 kills on .236 hitting, adding four blocks and five digs.

Ramirez's 20 kills mark a career high for the native of El Paso, Texas.

Sophia Parlanti, a graduate student, added 13 kills at a .270 clip, while Lopes sophomore setter Taylor Kubacak efficiently directed the offense with 26 assists along with an ace.

GCU freshman setter/opposite Bella Nunez showcased her all-around game with 10 kills, 21 assists, 21 digs and four aces in her first career triple-double.

Defensively, the Lopes compiled 64 digs, led by Nunez and junior libero Bella Anderson with 17.

GCU sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Goodere anchored the net with six total blocks.

The Lopes began the fifth set in a tough situation, trailing 3-0 after dropping the third and fourth sets to even the match.

GCU remained calm and found success going to freshman opposite Macey Hughes, who said she trusted the team even when it trailed.

"When we were down, I still knew we were going to win,"Hughes said. "We worked so hard for this moment, and I trust every one of those girls."

Hughes was one of two freshmen who joined the Lopes workouts in the spring. The native of San Antonio, Texas, added that playing on the big stage has already felt natural.

"It's surreal at times to realize I'm the one on TV, but once I'm out there, it just feels like volleyball," Hughest said. "The seniors treat me like I belong, and it feels like home."

The Lopes fought to an 8-5 deficit before a 6-0 run had the Lopes leading 11-8 with the fans on their feet. Hughes, Ramirez, Parlanti and Goodere made big plays on the run.

"I have to give a shout out to Macey," GCU head coach Kendra Potts told her players in the locker room after the match. "Your moment can happen at any time. At any moment, you can flip it. That's a great lesson and an example we can all lean on."

Graduate middle blocker Hayden Goodman later added a kill to set up match point for GCU at 14-10. Nunez claimed the match and clinched her triple-double with a kill for the 15-12 win.

Nunez said her mindset was simple heading into the fifth set.

"I wanted to win and leave it all on the court," Nunez said. " just tried to get every ball up and put my hitters in good spots.

"Keeping the momentum was huge and leaning on each other made the difference."

For Ramirez, the night carried a little extra meaning after Washington State had eliminated the Lopes in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

"It was in the back of my mind because I remembered the loss and was hungry to win but it never weighed on me," Ramirez said. "We knew mistakes would happen, and we were going to fight back no matter what."

Ramirez and Anderson are the only GCU players left from that NCAA Tournament appearance, but it was clear Saturday that the leadership helped carry the team through the fight.

"The W is so sweet, but what impressed me most was how you overcame the stress and made adjustments," Potts said to the team. "You stayed composed in the battle."

GCU had not lost a set this season prior to Saturday, so an opportunity to grow came when the team saw adversity hit.

"You just beat a good team," Potts said, "Their middles and outsides were strong, and I'm so proud of how you responded. I love you guys."

The Lopes will close the GCU Classic with a 2 pm Sunday match against Northern Arizona.

The Lumberjacks (3-2) are 1-1 on the weekend after defeating East Texas A&M earlier Saturday.

GCU's match with Northern Arizona can be viewed on 3TV, Arizona's Family Sports and the Mountain West Network stream.