Lopes get dramatic win over Arizona State

Friday, April 3

Tempe, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

FIU

Phoenix, AZ - April 3, 2026, GCU Beach Volleyball Wins 3-2 in a Thriller against Arizona State at Arizona State Beach Volleyball Courts. (Photo by: Brayden Stenner/GCU).

Photo by: Brayden Stenner/GCU

4/3/2026 7:20:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

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Kohl and Manthe come up clutch to seal the 2-0 day

By: Nathan Peters

TEMPE, Ariz. — Grand Canyon earned a dramatic 3-2 win over Arizona State on Friday at the Sun Devil Beach Volleyball Facility, with the Lopes sealing the rivalry dual on the final court of the day.

After the teams split the opening four flights, the dual came down to Court 3, where Rhea Kohl and Mae Manthe delivered the clinching point in comeback fashion.

The pair trailed 12-10 in the third set before responding with a match-ending 5-1 run to secure both their flight and the team victory.

Head coach Abra Rummel said the turning point came when the pair adjusted to Arizona State's defensive positioning.

"They were covering the middle of the court against us," Rummel said. "We just told them, 'You need to control the ball better. That's your strength as a team. And you need to hit the ball in the outsides of the courts.'"

The adjustment paid off immediately.

"They did it, and then we made a huge comeback," Rummel said. "They're a fabulous defensive team, and I knew as soon as they started controlling the ball better that we were going to turn those transition digs into points on our end."

The clutch finish capped another resilient performance for the Lopes, who also got wins from Katie Keefe and Sarah Edler (21-16, 21-18) on Court 2, who set the tone early. Jessica Drake and Isabelle Tucker added a straight-set win on Court 5, defeating Kendall Whitmarsh and Layla Williams 21-17, 21-19. Rummel pointed to the team's growth through adversity as a defining theme of the season.

"We've faced a lot of adversity for a lot of pretty wild reasons," Rummel said. "The girls have been fabulous in practice and have found ways in spite of the adversity we've faced to continue to move forward and improve."

The recent return of Tucker to the lineup has added another boost, and Friday's result reflected a team beginning to hit its stride at the right time.

Earlier Friday in Tempe, Grand Canyon opened the day with a 4-1 win over FIU, building momentum ahead of the rivalry showdown with Arizona State. The Lopes got victories from Karynn Garrow and Becca Drake, Kohl and Manthe, Jordyn Decker and Youna Coens, and Drake and Tucker to set the tone for a 2-0 day.

Looking ahead to Saturday's matches against No. 15 Stetson and Ottawa (Arizona), Rummel said the Lopes' focus remains on staying present in each rep and each match.

"Every moment is a moment in itself," Rummel said. "We need to be focused on what's right in front of us, and we're going to adopt that same mindset with every match that we have moving forward."