1st-set rally leads to GCU sweep - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Thursday, October 22

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-10,4-5Mountain West

Wyoming

10-10,3-6Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Wyoming	25	21	14	0
Grand Canyon	27	25	25	3

Phoenix, AZ Oct. 22, 2026: The lopes top Wyoming three sets to zero at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

10/22/2026 9:21:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes' Zigic breaks out with 10 kills, 0 errors; Williams continues hitting tear

By: Paul Coro

Trailing 23-19 in the first set Thursday night, Grand Canyon turned to a freshman who did not play the previous week, has not started a match and had five kills this season until 12 days ago.

But like her team, Serbian outside hitter Milica Zigic's right arm is getting into the swing of things. Zigic put down consecutive kills on Wyoming amid an 8-2, first-set finish that flipped the match into a 27-25, 25-21, 21-14 GCU win at Global Credit Union Arena.

Phoenix, AZ Oct. 22, 2026: The lopes top Wyoming three sets to zero at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

At the conference season's midpoint, the Lopes (10-10, 4-5 Mountain West) broke out alone from a four-way tie for sixth place in the MW and sits one game behind fourth place, a critical spot for the four-team Mountain West Championship.

With its first sweep since Sept. 4, GCU dispatched Wyoming in 91 minutes with a crescendo of strong play highlighted by Zigic's 10 kills on .455 hitting and fifth-year outside hitter Starr Williams' 11 kills on .429 hitting.

The Lopes improved their serve-receive passing average throughout the match and used their middle blockers to slow down the Cowgirls' quick offense. For the match, GCU outhit Wyoming .351 to .202 and never let the Cowgirls have another lead after 1-0 of the final two sets.

"Everything we've been talking about the past month, we finally got to see," Lopes head coach Kendra Potts said. "I'm just proud of them. I hope they can feel the reward of their focus. They've just been gritty. A lot of teams can deteriorate internally when they come up short, and this team has only come closer. That's why we're able to still do things like we did tonight."

The transition to U.S. college volleyball had been challenging for GCU's European imports this season, but Zigic has recorded double-digit kills in her last two appearances after having five kills on the season previously and freshman Nika Zupanic, who is from Croatia, stepped into the main libero role with senior Bella Anderson out.

Phoenix, AZ Oct. 22, 2026: The lopes top Wyoming three sets to zero at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Zigic did not commit a hitting error Thursday night and added five digs and a block to her 10 kills.

"The style here is a little different," Potts said. "The terminology flows different. Sometimes when you are learning something new, your confidence can get a little shaky too. Not only were they were learning a new system and language at times, they had to fight what believing that they were still capable of doing what they've always done as a volleyball player. Yes, it's October, but we'll take it because this is what they're capable of."

GCU needed to fend off a set point in the first set with a tremendous long volley that ended on a Wyoming error. Junior setter Taylor Kubacak followed with an ace before sophomore Bella Nunez's kill later earned a set point that Williams finished with a tip.

Williams was a problem for Wyoming away from the left pin too. The 6-foot-3 native of Ontario, California, set a career high with three aces while delivering double-digit kills for the fourth consecutive match and hitting at a season-high .429 clip.

"The last couple weeks have been a really good groove," said Williams, whose combination of power and downward trajectory were tough to defend. "I connect with Taylor (Kubacak) really well, so it's been a really good time having a setter I can connect with. She's really good at tempo and location. That helps me a lot to be consistent. We have a good communication."

When moments got tight, Williams turned clutch with the winning kill in the first set, a kill in the second set when Wyoming had tightened the score to 21-20 and a service run in the third set that earned six of seven unanswered GCU points.

Phoenix, AZ Oct. 22, 2026: The lopes top Wyoming three sets to zero at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

"For us to steal that first set deflated them a little bit, but we also maintained," said Potts, whose team opened the second set with a 5-1 lead after the 8-2 finish to the first set. "We were able to clean up our passing as the match went on, and that was the goal. For us, it's the longevity of volleyball play that we've been working on. It's a slow build throughout the day and not the highs and lows throughout the entire match. They applied that."

GCU middle blockers Aubrey Goodere, a junior, and Aubrey Bellus, a sophomore, combined for 11 kills and five blocks with their touches doing much of the work to help transition defense. Meanwhile, the Cowgirls posted a season blocking low for a Lopes opponent with one.

"We were just applying what we saw in front of us in that moment," Potts said. "When you do that, you're actually playing free and not thinking too much.

"Now how we do verify that this is what we do? Let's not just say, 'It was a good night.' Let's say, 'This is who we are. This is what we do night after night.' It really comes together if we can put this together two times in a row. We're going back to work. We know Wyoming is going to make the adjustments to get back to their best version. They're well-coached and a great team. We know Saturday's going to be a dogfight again."

GCU meets Wyoming (10-10, 3-6 MW) again at 1 p.m. Saturday in Global Credit Union Arena. This time, Zigic will be a larger part of the Cowgirls' scouting report after not committing a hitting error on 22 swings Thursday night.

"We all came together as a team, and everyone gave their one-sixth," Zigic said. "We knew what our goal was today, and we achieved it together. We're going to go all out again (Saturday). No matter the opponent, our mindset has to be clear toward the goal."

The Lopes will head into that Saturday match with Williams ranked second in the Mountain West at a career-high 3.75 kills set. Her 281 kills is already 83 more than she posted last season at Tennessee.

"It's such a blessing to be here," Williams said. "I'm really glad that God called me to be here for my last year. The girls are great. We all get along really well. They call me 'Grandma,' but we all have a bond. It's nice to have a team that supports each other."