Lopes fall in 5-set battle at Nevada in MW opener

Thursday, September 24

Reno, Nev.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-6,0-1Mountain West

Nevada

3-8,1-0Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Grand Canyon	27	25	21	25	14	2
Nevada	25	27	25	22	16	3

Photo by: Nathan Peters

9/24/2026 9:48:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Kubacak reaches 100 career service aces in 1st of 2 in Reno

By: Nathan Peters

RENO, NEV. – Grand Canyon volleyball came within one point of opening Mountain West play with a road victory Thursday night, but Nevada rallied from match point to defeat the Lopes 25-27, 27-25, 25-21, 22-25, 16-14 at Virginia Street Gym in Reno, Nevada.

GCU (6-6, 0-1 MW) hit .331 for the match, recording 72 kills with only 15 errors on 172 swings. The Lopes hit above .340 in each of the first four sets, including .462 without an attack error in the fourth, before Nevada held GCU to .103 in the deciding set.

Fifth-year opposite hitter Starr Williams powered the GCU offense with a season-high 24 kills on .382 hitting, committing only three errors on 55 attacks. Three other Lopes reached double-digit kills as junior middle blocker Aubrey Goodere and sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Bellus each had 10, while sophomore setter Bella Nunez added 10.

Goodere also produced a record-setting night at the net. Her four solo blocks moved her to No. 3 on GCU's single-match solo-blocks list, surpassing her previous career high of three against Pepperdine.

The performance also moved Goodere up multiple GCU career lists. She climbed from ninth to sixth with 34 career solo blocks, passing Alissa Uhlenhop's 33, and moved from fifth to fourth with 206 career block assists, passing Kaira Moss' 205.

The Lopes took control early in the opening set and built a 17-11 advantage before Nevada erased the deficit with seven consecutive points.

From there, the teams traded points through the finish. GCU reached set point at 24-22 before Nevada tied it at 24-24, but Goodere delivered a kill to give the Lopes another opportunity. After Nevada pulled even again at 25-25, a Wolf Pack service error gave GCU its third set point and Goodere finished the 27-25 win with a solo block.

The second set followed a similar script with neither team able to create lasting separation.

GCU trailed 20-17 before working back to a 20-20 tie. The Lopes eventually moved ahead 24-23 on a block from sophomore opposite hitter Ana Jaramazovic and Bellus, putting GCU one point away from taking a two-set lead.

Nevada responded. After a GCU service error tied the set, the Wolf Pack moved ahead 25-24 on an ace. Williams answered with a kill to make it 25-25, but Nevada claimed the next two points for the 27-25 win.

The Wolf Pack carried that momentum into the third set, pulling away late for a 25-21 victory and a 2-1 match advantage.

GCU responded with its most efficient offensive set of the night.

The Lopes totaled 18 kills without committing an attack error in the fourth, hitting .462. GCU broke away from an 8-8 tie to build a 16-11 advantage, with Williams, Goodere, Bellus and sophomore opposite hitter Macey Hughes all contributing during the run.

Nevada cut the margin to two at 19-17, but GCU answered behind Williams and Hughes. Williams delivered consecutive kills to extend the lead to 22-17, and Nunez eventually closed the 25-22 set with a kill to send the match to a fifth.

GCU carried that momentum into the deciding set.

The Lopes turned an early 2-0 deficit into a 9-4 advantage, with Goodere providing a kill and solo block during the run. Nevada gradually worked its way back, however, tying the set at 11-11.

GCU twice regained one-point leads before Hughes delivered a kill to put the Lopes ahead 14-13 and give GCU match point.

Nevada denied the opportunity with a kill to tie the set at 14-14. The Wolf Pack followed with a service ace before finishing the match with another kill for the 16-14 victory.

Bellus was one of GCU's most efficient attackers, finishing with 10 kills and only one error on 17 swings for a .529 hitting percentage. Goodere added 10 kills on .348 hitting to go with seven total blocks.

Nunez filled the stat sheet with her second triple-double of the year marking 10 kills, 29 assists and 15 digs, while junior setter Taylor Kubacak recorded a team-high 30 assists and three service aces.

Kubacak's three aces brought her to 100 for her GCU career.

Junior libero Natalie Guerrero led the Lopes with 17 digs, while Nunez had 15 and senior outside hitter Katie Schulz and senior libero Bella Anderson each added 10.

GCU held an 11-3 advantage in team blocks and matched Nevada with 72 kills, but the Wolf Pack created separation from the service line with 15 aces compared to four for the Lopes. Nevada finished the night hitting .266.

The Lopes will play at Nevada again on Friday with a 6 pm start time.