Lopes hit .378 in 4-set win over UC Riverside

Thursday, September 10

Flagstaff, Ariz.

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-3,0-0Mountain West

UC Riverside

2-5,0-0Big West

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC Riverside	13	17	25	13	1
Grand Canyon	25	25	19	25	3

Photo by: Nathan Peters

9/10/2026 6:06:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

GCU set for Friday night match vs. host Northern Arizona

By: Nathan Peters

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Grand Canyon volleyball opened its stay in Flagstaff with one of its most efficient offensive performances of the past year Thursday, defeating UC Riverside 25-13, 25-17, 19-25, 25-13 at Rolle Activity Center.

The Lopes (4-3) hit .378 for the match with 52 kills and only 10 attack errors on 111 swings. GCU hit better than .400 in three of the four sets, including a match-best .542 in the fourth, while holding UC Riverside to .227 overall. The last time GCU posted a higher team hitting percentage was the 2025 season opener against Long Island (.393).

Fifth-year opposite hitter Starr Williams led GCU with 13 kills on .321 hitting and added two service aces. Senior outside hitter Katie Schulz followed with 11 kills while committing just one error on 25 attacks for a .400 hitting percentage.

Williams and Schulz combined for only five errors on 53 attempts, an efficiency that stood out to GCU head coach Kendra Potts.

Sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Bellus finished the match with six kills on .455 hitting and three service aces, tying her career high. Freshman middle blocker Kaela Jenkins added four kills without an error on eight swings for a .500 hitting percentage, while junior middle blocker Aubrey Goodere recorded three kills on five attempts for a .600 mark.

"I think we were equally in and out of system throughout the match, and what we've been working on with our outsides is knowing when they can terminate and also putting themselves in a situation to create a terminating swing," Potts said. "There are times when you just have to extend the point and not be soft in that extension.

"I thought (Williams and Schulz) showed great patience. Between them both, five errors on 53 attempts and both getting into double-digit kills. I was really proud of their balance."

GCU established control immediately in the opening set. After UC Riverside scored the first point, the Lopes answered with six of the next seven to take a 6-2 lead. GCU continued to build separation behind an offense that hit .444 with 13 kills and only one attack error.

Freshman outside hitter Gentry Oblad helped extend the advantage from the service line with consecutive aces to make it 13-7. The Lopes later stretched their lead to 20-10 before closing the set 25-13.

The strong start carried into the second set as GCU jumped ahead 8-2. UC Riverside worked back into the set and cut the Lopes' lead to 14-13, but GCU responded before the Highlanders could pull even.

Schulz helped steady the offense, while Williams delivered several kills down the stretch. Bellus also provided a spark at the service line with back-to-back aces, helping GCU pull away for a 25-17 win and a 2-0 match lead.The Lopes hit .414 in the second set with another 13 kills and only one error.

"If we can just stay in tune with all of our offensive weapons, not just start that way, I think that opens up for them to be even more terminal," Potts said. "Overall, I'm loving what we're learning about ourselves. I love that we can make real in-game adjustments. At times, we have to realize teams are making adjustments on us as well, and we have to respect that part of the game."

UC Riverside extended the match with its strongest offensive set of the afternoon in the third. The teams played through 11 ties and five lead changes, with neither side able to create much separation through a 13-13 score.

The Highlanders took control from there, using a late run to build a 20-16 advantage before finishing the set 25-19. UC Riverside hit .394 in the frame while holding GCU to .161 to cut the Lopes' lead to 2-1.

GCU responded emphatically in the fourth set.

The Lopes scored six of the first seven points and quickly extended the lead to 12-5. GCU's offense was at its best in the final set, recording 15 kills with only two errors on 24 attacks for a .542 hitting percentage.

"I was proud of overall how we bounced back even when UC Riverside was finding in-game adjustments," Potts said.

Sophomore setter Bella Nunez contributed throughout the match with 21 assists, four kills, two aces and four block assists. Junior setter Taylor Kubacak added 16 assists, seven digs and two aces while also converting all five of her attack attempts for five kills.

Junior libero Natalie Guerrero entered in the fourth set and immediately provided a spark, finishing with four digs and two assists while also giving GCU a steady presence in serve receive.

"It's not easy to come in and be a spark plug in the right way," Potts said. "Sometimes, you can put pressure on yourself or want to be too perfect, and she was just herself. She's got to realize every day when she shows up and is herself, that's what she can do day in and day out.

"I love that she did the little things. She didn't just dig balls, but she passed well in serve receive. She was setting so well in second to third when we were out of system. It was a lot of things that you don't see on a box score that she did well. I'm just super proud."

Potts pointed to Guerrero's fourth-set contribution as another example of the Lopes' depth.

"This is why we have depth," Potts said. "This is not saying that there's lost trust on (senior libero) Bella [Anderson], but this is so great that you can look at a teammate and say, 'Hey, thanks for having my back tonight.' '"

Sophomore opposite hitter Macey Hughes chipped in five kills, while Oblad finished with a team-high eight digs to go with her two aces. Anderson and Kubacak each added seven digs.

GCU finished with an 11-3 advantage in aces and a 6-4 edge in blocks. The Lopes held UC Riverside to a .000 hitting percentage in the decisive fourth set, allowing six kills while forcing six attack errors.

GCU continues the Lumberjack Classic against host Northern Arizona, a matchup Potts sees pitting teams with similar strengths.

"NAU is almost like a carbon copy of us," Potts said. "They've got great outsides, great middles, they run a 6-2 offense, they've got great liberos, and they're a very aggressive serving team. Really, it's going to be who executes, who can reset faster and who has a longer endurance of playing high-level volleyball."