PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Vanguard Lions (10-6) took on the NCAA's tenth-ranked Grand Canyon (13-5) on Friday afternoon. GCU ranks in the top-ten nationally in six statistical categories. The Lopes are sixth in kills per set (12.95) seventh in assists per set (12.05), eighth in hitting percentage (.306), and ninth in winning percentage (.706). They hit almost all of those marks in their four-set win over the Lions as they won by scores of 25-21, 25-20, 29-27, 25-14.

GCU tallied six kills and only one error early on in the set but four service errors by the home team would interrupt their early rhythm as they opened up a 13-9 lead. Two attacking errors and another service error would cut the Lions' deficit to two, and a solo block by Christian Nowtash (SO/Vista, CA) would bring things within one. A kill by Kyle Anema (SO/La Mirada, CA) and a service error by the Lopes would make it  20-21, but GCU would quickly respond with a couple of kills to put the pressure on. A service ace by Jack Burton would decide the first game in favor of the home team. 

GCU opened up the second game on a 5-0 run, but consecutive kills from Alejandro Hernandez (FR/Hacienda Heights, CA) and Cody Watts (FR/Clovis, CA) would give the Lions life. A beautiful diving save by Colby Cook (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) led to a kill by Nowtash and one point later, Anema would go flying through the sky and send a ball directly into a defender's face to even things up at nine. The Lopes would respond with a 10-3 run to take a six-point lead late in the set. Anema recorded two service aces in a row to cut the deficit to three, but that is as close as the Lions would get as GCU would take a two-game lead over the Pride. 

Anema scored two points in a row with a block and a kill to give VU a 5-4 edge early on. Neither team could create any more than two point's separation from the other until a service ace by Hernandez gave the Lions an 18-15 advantage. The Blue and Gold were able to keep the Lopes at bay thanks to a couple of kills from Nowtash until two consecutive kills from Jack Burton would tie things up at 23. Both teams would go back and forth, tying things up at 25, 26, and 27 until a kill from Anema would give the Lions their first game of the night. In the fourth set, GCU raced out to an 11-3 advantage as they took advantage of three service aces. They rode their healthy lead to take the match three games to one. 

Anema led the Lions with 13 kills to go along with four digs and two blocks. Nowtash was close behind with 11 kills while adding five digs and three blocks and Bryce Thompson (SO/Los Alamitos, CA) rounded out things on the offensive end with 40 assists. The Lions best hitting percentage came in the third set where they recorded 18 kills and only five errors. 

Next Game: Saturday, March 7 at (6) Benedictine-Mesa at 1:00 p.m.

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