Next match:
in southern Utah
October 12, 2024 | 6pm
Saturday, October 12th 6pm
in southern Utah
History ST. GEORGE, Utah – The first of Grand Canyon’s two weekend road games was led by Lopez’s back-row defense, 25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 25-2 at Utah Tech. They had 12 conference wins.
GCU (11-5, 4-1 WAC) has won its last five games against Utah Tech. Lopez has won four straight and moved into a tie for second place in the WAC with Southern Utah, which they will play on Saturday.
GCU’s defense has been dominant at the net lately, ranking 13th in the nation with 2.78 blocks per set. But he had a strong showing Thursday night, hitting a season-high with 77 shots.
“It took a solid defensive effort from our team…I thought Utah Tech did a good job utilizing the middle early on,” Lopez head coach Kendra Potts said. “It took us a second, but I’m proud that our defense behind our blocks has really stepped up, especially Mikena Nelson, Tatum Parrott and Taylor Kubacak.”
Nelson, a graduate libero, returned to campus where he played most of his collegiate career and finished the night with a team-high 19 points. Kubacak, GCU’s freshman setter, followed with 17 points, while Parrott, a junior outside hitter, added 15 points and had a match-high 20 kills.
“I was really proud to see that aspect of our game step up tonight,” Potts said.
Lopez opened with a close first set, but after capping an 8-3 GCU run, an ace from Parrott gave Utah Tech a 20-14 lead, forcing a timeout.
At the end of the first set, Parrott was hitting .409 with 10 kills, tied with senior middle blocker Alyssa Uhlenhop’s 2.5 blocks.
GCU led 7-2 in the second set, but retaliated with a 9-2 run to take an 11-9 lead. Lopez junior outside Anaelena Ramirez had three of her 13 kills during that stretch, and graduate outside hitter Ashley Lifgren had two of her 10 kills in that important run. .
Lopez held the lead for the rest of the set, with two second-half aces from sophomore Bella Andersson and a set-clinching kill from opposing junior Magdalena Juric.
The third set was decided at 13-13, but a 4-0 run by the Trail Blazers ended the third set at 25-20 and cut the lead against GCU to 2-1.
Lopez sparked the final set with a 10-2 run that included attacks from Lifgren, Uhlenhopp, Parrott and Ramirez.
“I pride myself on my ability to make adjustments during a game and recognize who on the team can make a difference at any given time,” Potts said.
Lopez had two players with double-doubles, thanks to Parrott’s 20 kills and 15 digs and Kubacak’s 31 assists and 17 digs.
“I’m proud of Taylor for coming off the bench and running a five-one offense, making some aggressive blocking touches and getting a few stops at the net,” Potts said. “The versatility when you have to make adjustments in-game is huge.”
GCU will now shift its focus to a game at Southern Utah on Saturday at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time). If Lopez defeats the Thunderbirds, he has a chance to take over the No. 2 spot.
“I told the girls to enjoy tonight, but all I’m worried about tomorrow is Southern Utah,” Potts said. “Obviously, as a staff, we’re already starting to learn them and get to know their stuff. They won against Utah Tech, and I think they’ve got some really good production and we’re starting to learn them and get to know their stuff. I think they have a different system than we’ve seen recently, and we’re going to do what they do best,” and that’s what we expect. ”
