Counterpunch knocks out Ole Miss in 4

Saturday, September 19

Lawrence, Kan.

12 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Ole Miss

Photo by: Jason Glassberg

9/19/2026 2:30:00 PM | Volleyball, Paul Coro

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Lopes outhit Rebels .379 to .181 over final 3 sets, plays No. 22 Kansas next

By: Paul Coro

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After not holding a lead in the first set, Grand Canyon turned around its play so fast that Ole Miss' heads were spinning Saturday.

GCU only trailed once, 1-0 in the second set, over the next three sets for an emphatic takeover that resulted in a 16-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-22 victory at the Jayhawk Classic.

The Lopes (6-4) will carry great momentum into playing Kansas, the 22nd-ranked host, on Sunday at noon (Phoenix time) after outhitting the Rebels over the final three sets .379 to .181 on Saturday.
Grand Canyon defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Classic.

Grand Canyon defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Classic.

After hitting sub-zero in the first set, GCU senior outside hitter Katie Schulz resumed her recent tear with a match-high 14 kills that gives her four consecutive double-digit kill matches and .413 hitting over her last two matches.

"It's not me," Schulz said in her ESPN+ postgame interview. "It's my team and my coaches that support me. After I got in a rut, I was like, 'Dang it, what the frick?' And then my teammates are like, 'Hey, we have always trusted you.' I think that is so cool. We're just a unit. We're so put together. The coaches are always willing to give us a second chance to bounce back even quicker and faster than we ever thought."

The Lopes sure did, starting with sophomore opposite Ana Jaramazovic opening the second set with a kill on her first touch of the match. That shot the Lopes to a 9-3 start that included a pair of blocks from junior middle blocker Aubrey Goodere and another by sophomore setter/opposite Bella Nunez.

GCU's back-row defense sharpened to slow down the attack of Ole Miss, which had hit .375 in the first set. Schulz and fifth-year outside hitter Starr Williams each put down four kills in the set, including the duo combining for the final three points of the 25-20 win.
Grand Canyon defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Classic.

The Lopes again pounced for a large early lead in the second set, when GCU went ahead 8-4 on a brilliant point that started with junior libero Natalie Guerrero getting up one of her 17 digs. Junior setter Taylor Kuback set from the end line for a Schulz kill.

Schulz's kills recorded the next three points, with the last one starting a 7-0 run that ended sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Bellus going on a stretch of three consecutive kills. Bellus, the Mesa Mountain View High School graduate, finished with eight kills, two aces, .667 hitting and no attack errors.

GCU enjoyed its most dominant set, 25-14, to take a 2-1 match lead when Jaramazovic added her fifth kill on one of Nunez's 24 assists.

Bellus' two aces helped the Lopes to a 3-0 lead in the fourth set, but Ole Miss scrapped to play tighter set without ever leading. When the Rebels tightened the GCU lead to 23-22 on a net-tipping ace, Potts called timeout and the Lopes emerged with Kubacak setting Nunez to set up match point.

Grand Canyon defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Classic.

The match-winning sequence embodied the Lopes' strong all-around play, with Guerrero diving laterally for a dig, Kubacak setting from behind the attack line and Schulz jumping flat-footed to rip her final kill.

"We always talk about red zone once it gets to 18," said Schulz, a 6-foot-1 Green Bay transfer from Appleton, Wisconsin. "No matter what, we give it all we've got. We will not let a ball hit the floor. We won't let something drop. Whatever we do, we swing harder and faster. We take those big risks because we get a big reward like this win."

Williams, the 6-3 Tennessee transfer, added 11 kills and 11 digs for her third consecutive double-double after not having one previously this season.

Ole Miss (6-5) finished with .230 hitting, giving GCU five consecutive matches of holding its opponent to .230 hitting or less.

The Lopes will look to level up again Sunday when they try to end No. 22 Kansas' nine-match home winning streak. The 6-3 Jayhawks swept Ole Miss on Friday for their fifth consecutive sweep victory.

"They are going to throw punches, but so are we," Schulz said. "We're ready to take those punches as well. No matter what happens, we've got our bench supporting us, and we've got the whole staff. We're here as a unit, so whatever happens, we're doing it together."