Stage set for Lope-A-Palooza, climax of Welcome Week

Friday, September 4

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Louisiana Monroe

Photo by: Jayden Todd

9/3/2026 8:45:00 AM | Volleyball

Lopes host three teams for GCU Invitational

By: Nathan Peters

Grand Canyon volleyball takes the court for the first time this season at Global Credit Union Arena on Friday night. The Lopes host Louisiana Monroe in a 7 p.m. match that is expected to have a capacity crowd of over 7,000 fans, mostly GCU student Havocs. The match will be followed by Lope-A-Palooza, a major pep rally that is a part of GCU's Welcome Week festivities.

The GCU Invitational will also play host to San Francisco and Temple.

AT A GLANCE

Head coach Kendra Potts enters her third season at GCU with a career record of 161-48 (.770), placing her ninth among active NCAA coaches.
Potts coached the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs to the 2023 Division II National Championship and was named AVCA Division II Coach of the Year in 2022.
Potts was named to the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor as the 66th inductee, recognizing both her playing and coaching career.
The Lopes return 11 players from last season's squad and welcome nine newcomers.
Aubrey Goodere's mother, Kendra Roer, played middle blocker at GCU from 1997-2000. Roer is GCU's all-time career blocks record holder with 364 total blocks.
Assistant coaches Evan Larson and Ryan Vorderer were both named to the AVCA Thirty Under 30, which recognizes top young coaches in the sport.
The 2025 season marked an attendance record for the Lopes with 25,780 fans.

GCU welcomed 7,114 students for its 2025 home opener, Lope-A-Palooza.

During the 2025 season...

During the 2025 season, freshman setter/opposite Bella Nunez ranked third in Division I with nine triple-doubles.
During the 2025 season, GCU set a single-season program record with 516 block assists.
During the 2025 season, Aubrey Bellus set the individual match record with 14 total blocks at San Diego State on Oct. 16, 2025.

During the 2025 season, GCU set Division I-era team match records with 36 block assists and 21 total blocks at San Diego State on Oct. 16, 2025.

2026 Bits and Pieces...

Aubrey Goodere now ranks sixth in GCU's Division I-era career block assists with 172.
Starr Williams' 20 kills against Arkansas State rank second in program Division I history for a three-set match.
Through Week 1, Williams leads the Mountain West with 41 kills and 4.10 kills per set.
Aubrey Bellus ranks fifth in the Mountain West with 10 blocks and 1.00 block per set.
Bella Anderson ranks fifth in the Mountain West with four service aces.
Freshman outside hitter Gentry Oblad started two matches for the Lopes after producing nine kills and eight digs against reigning national champion Texas A&M.

LAST TIME OUT

GCU went 1-2 at the Texas A&M Invitational, closing the weekend with a 25-19, 25-15, 25-23 sweep of 2025 NCAA Tournament team Arkansas State after dropping its first two matches. Starr Williams highlighted the weekend finale with 20 kills on .421 hitting, the second-most kills in a three-set match in GCU's Division I era.