Lopes fall to Kansas in Jayhawk Classic finale

Sunday, September 20

Lawrence, Kan.

12 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

6-5,0-0Mountain West

Kansas

7-3,0-0Big 12

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Grand Canyon	21	21	15	0
Kansas	25	25	25	3

Photo by: Jason Glassberg

9/20/2026 2:21:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

GCU looks towards conference play at Nevada

By: Nathan Peters

Grand Canyon volleyball closed its weekend at the Jayhawk Classic on Sunday with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-15 loss to host Kansas at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence, Kansas.

The Lopes entered the match coming off a Saturday victory over Ole Miss and finished the weekend with a 6-5 overall record to close the nonconference schedule.

GCU hit .160 for the match with 27 kills and 15 attack errors on 75 swings, while Kansas hit .362 with 48 kills. The Lopes' best offensive set came in the opener, when they hit .280 and stayed with the Jayhawks into the closing points.

Senior outside hitter Katie Schulz paced GCU with eight kills on .294 hitting. Sophomore opposite hitter Ana Jaramazovic added six kills on 11 swings for a team-best .364 hitting percentage, while fifth-year opposite hitter Starr Williams finished with five kills and two block assists.

The Lopes kept the opening set within one or two points for most of the way.

GCU pulled even at 7-7 and continued trading points with Kansas through the middle of the set. After the Jayhawks created a 16-11 advantage, the Lopes chipped away and eventually tied the set at 19-19.

Kansas scored the next three points to go ahead 22-19, but GCU answered behind Williams. The fifth-year opposite put down consecutive kills to pull the Lopes within 22-21 before the Jayhawks claimed the final three points for the 25-21 win.

GCU again stayed close throughout much of the second set.

Sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Bellus helped the Lopes pull even at 7-7 before Kansas opened a 10-7 advantage. The Jayhawks later stretched the margin to 16-11, but GCU responded with another push.

Junior libero Natalie Guerrero helped steady the Lopes defensively, while sophomore setter Bella Nunez and Schulz provided offense as GCU worked back within 18-17. Schulz later cut Kansas' lead to 19-18 with a kill, and Jaramazovic brought the Lopes within 22-20 late in the set.

Kansas again finished stronger, taking three of the final four points to win 25-21 and grab a 2-0 match lead.

The Jayhawks created separation earlier in the third set, turning a 3-3 tie into a 10-4 advantage.

GCU continued to battle behind Jaramazovic, who recorded four of her six kills in the final set, but Kansas' offense proved difficult to slow. The Jayhawks hit .516 in the third set with 18 kills and only two attack errors to close the match 25-15.

Nunez finished with 14 assists, four digs, three kills and an ace, while junior setter Taylor Kubacak added 10 assists. Guerrero led the Lopes with eight digs, and Bellus recorded four kills on .333 hitting with three block assists.

GCU finished with five team blocks, while Kansas recorded 10. The Jayhawks also held advantages of 48-27 in kills and 6-2 in service aces.

The Lopes head to Nevada this week to begin Mountain West conference play.