08-25-07

Grand Canyon volleyball team falls to 0-3 in Colorado

ALAMOSA, Colo. -- Grand Canyon lost its third straight match at the Best Western Alamosa Inn/Grizzly Inn Volleyball Classic Saturday morning, falling in three games to Western New Mexico. WNMU won 30-22, 30-20, 30-26.

GCU (0-3) played better defensively than it had in the previous two matches, but still came up short. Freshman Katie Meyers keyed an improved Antelopes defensive effort, recording 21 of her team's 46 digs.

Western New Mexico (2-1) hit at am impressive .304 clip, which included a .579 percentage by Lindsay Morrison and .400 by Phoenix Central High graduate Tirzah Armenta. Morrison had 13 kills and Armenta 15.

Sophomore Dana Edington pounded 12 kills for Grand Canyon.

Sophomore Whitney Estes' kill gave GCU an 8-7 lead in the opening game, but WNMU pulled in front 10-9 on a winner by Armenta, and the Mustangs never trailed again. In Game 2, Grand Canyon senior Ashley Bright's putaway moved the 'Lopes in front 5-4. But the Mustangs went on a 5-0 run, and maintained the lead for good.

GCU fell behind 8-1 in the third game before closing the gap to 14-13 on junior Shauna Nieman's serve. A kill by WNMU's Kristy Herrington (Deer Valley HS) gave the Mustangs a 25-20 lead. Back-to-back putaways by Estes and Nieman brought GCU within 29-26, but Armenta's kill sealed the win.

Grand Canyon senior setter Audra Slemmer had 32 assists, five digs and two blocks. Nieman added seven kills and eight digs, and Estes eight kills.
Western New Mexico's Natali Murdock (Pinnacle HS) finished with nine kills, Courtney Heiser (Marcos de Niza HS) 40 assists and eight kills.

GCU concludes play at the Adams State College classic in Saturday's 4 p.m. match against Texas Permian Basin (1-1), which plays No. 22 Rockhurst at noon.

Box Score