Momentum builds with 7th consecutive win - Grand Canyon University Athletics

Thursday, November 12

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

16-10,10-5Mountain West

UTEP

16-11,8-7Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UTEP	20	20	25	16	1
Grand Canyon	25	25	23	25	3

Photo by: Kaily Green

11/12/2026 9:44:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU stays in 2nd-place tie as Williams' 19 kills leads .274 hitting on UTEP

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon volleyball's energy has compounded during its seven-match winning streak. The confidence is amplified by each win, and the improvement creates momentum.

Taylor Kubacak

That development came in a third-set loss Thursday night that stole momentum for GCU to defeat UTEP 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16 at Global Credit Union Arena.

A third-set rally fell short, but the Lopes re-established their winning ways that have captured 21 of 26 sets for their longest win streak since GCU's 2023 NCAA Tournament team won seven in a row. Thursday's win kept the Lopes (16-10, 10-5 Mountain West) in a second-place tie with UC Davis. It also gave GCU a chance to clinch a Mountain West Championship berth if it can beat UTEP again Saturday in the Lopes' home finale.

"When you get to November, sometimes people are so worn out, but I feel like we have only energized in our love and want to serve one another," Lopes head coach Kendra Potts said. "It's only gotten stronger this season."

With a 2-0 match lead, UTEP (16-11, 8-7 MW) was enjoying a third-set rebound for its attempt to tie GCU in the MW standings. With the Lopes trailing 17-10, Potts called a timeout to send a message: "Don't play the score; get back to who we are."

Overhead celebration

In her first action since Oct. 10, GCU sophomore outside hitter Ana Jaramazovic helped see to that with back-to-back kills that spurred GCU to fight back into the set.

As part of her 19-kill night, Lopes fifth-year outside hitter Starr Williams continued with the rally with two kills and a block as GCU pulled within one point three times before UTEP won 25-23 on a service error. By then, the Lopes had taken back momentum with mature play.

"That definitely guided us into the fourth set, just chipping away and letting them know we're capable of coming back," Williams said. "We're ending the same way we started off."

GCU's service game swung the fourth set, just as it applied pressure in the earlier sets. Lopes junior setter Taylor Kubacak delivered her team-high 24th ace of the season for a 7-5 lead, and freshman libero Nika Zupanic followed with two aces and a knockout serve during a 6-0 run that put GCU ahead 16-8.

"That's the goal – to knock them out a little bit so they're not able to run their middles as often," said Potts, who received a match-high three aces from fifth-year outside hitter Katie Schulz. "Because when they run their middles, you see what they're capable of. I was really happy we were able to pick them apart at the service line, and that was our game plan all week. We knew that's what we were going to have to do. If you keep UTEP in system, it could be a short night for you."

Starr Williams

Williams made it a long night for the Miners, hitting .327 to continue playing the best volleyball of her career. With a conference-best 379 kills this season, the 6-foot-3 Ontario, California, native is 16 off her career-best total.

"It's fun to be a part of," Potts said. "It's also great to see a girl give her best every single night, knowing this is her last college hurrah. She has a group of girls who want to celebrate her and love on her. I'm super proud of her, and I hope she's enjoying it as much as we are."

Williams heads into her final home match averaging 18.1 kills over the past 10 matches, her longest career streak of double-digit kill performances.

"It's just knowing what I'm capable of," Williams said. "Just being confident in myself all the time. If I make an error or two, I'm just right back to playing how I play. That's been a change this year. I would falter and just stay in my head, but this year's been completely different so it's pretty cool."

The first set's tone-setter came off the sets of sophomore Bella Nunez, playing against her hometown team. Nunez delivered seven first-set assists and finished with 22, complemented by Kubacak's 17 assists in GCU's 6-2 system. She closed the first-set win with an assist and stepped up for a block when GCU started its second-set win with a 5-0 run.

"It was fun playing against them," Nunez said. "It was even more motivation to win. It was fun competing against people you know so well."

With three regular-season matches remaining, GCU's chance to clinch a spot in the four-team Mountain West Championship comes at 1 p.m. Saturday against a UTEP team that is now tie for fourth place with New Mexico.

The Lopes' .274 hitting percentage was the third-highest that the Miners have allowed this season.

"I feel like we have so much more to show Saturday," Nunez said.