Lopes complete comeback over No. 19 Boise State

Saturday, April 11

Boise, Idaho

7:30 a.m.

Grand Canyon

South Florida

Photo by: Alex Haack

4/11/2026 2:18:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

4-0 weekend sets up GCU for matches vs. 3 ranked opponents to close regular season

By: Nathan Peters

BOISE, Idaho — No. 11 Grand Canyon beach volleyball opened its Saturday with a 3-2 victory over South Florida before closing the day with the Lopes' ninth consecutive dual win, a 3-2 victory against 19th-ranked host Boise State.

In the opening dual against South Florida, the Lopes built the win through the middle of the lineup as senior Katie Keefe and junior Sarah Edler put GCU on the board first with a Flight 2 victory.

GCU junior Rhea Kohl and sophomore partner Mae Manthe quickly followed with a Flight 3 win to double the lead, and the clinching point came from juniors Karynn Garrow and Becca Drake at Flight 1 after the dual tightened late.

The second dual featured a ranked showdown with No. 19 Boise State, and the Lopes once again responded in the key finishing windows.

Boise State struck first with Flight 4 and Flight 2 wins.

Kohl and Manthe then gave GCU its first match point with a Flight 3 victory.

Senior Jessica Drake teamed with junior Isabelle Tucker to deliver the dual's tying point on Flight 5, before the match's fate came down to the Lopes' top pair of Garrow and Becca Drake finishing off the comeback in straight sets.

The day underscored the Lopes' balance and resilience, with GCU winning two tight duals in different ways.

The Lopes will face Long Beach State and LMU next weekend to close out the regular season ahead of the MPSF Championship, which is April 22-24 in Huntington Beach, California.