Then, when the Lopes faced a 24-22 deficit in the fourth set with Waves junior libero Laine Briggs serving for the match, the match felt out of reach.  

However, GCU didn’t think so. 

The Lopes stormed back for a reverse sweep victory in five sets over Pepperdine at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe in the opening match of this weekend’s Sun Devil Classic. 

In the process, GCU fought off two match points and survived a late Waves comeback in the decisive fifth set. 

The Lopes secured the slight advantage in kills, assists, and aces, but subsequently committed 10 service errors – their highest mark in any match so far this season.

Senior outside hitter Anaelena Ramirez led GCU’s attack, as she racked up 23 kills and ended with a team-leading .290 hitting percentage for the match. Sophomore middle blocker Aubrey Goodere also pitched in with 13 kills while leading the Lopes with 7 blocks. 

The majority of GCU’s opportunities came from sophomore setter Taylor Kubacak, who tallied 33 assists, and freshman setter Bella Nunez, who finished with 20 assists. Nunez also added 7 kills of her own. 

For Pepperdine, the offense was a balanced unit, with sophomore outside hitter Chloe Pravednikov leading the charge with 14 kills. 

Sophomore outside hitter/opposite hitter Maggie Beauer and sophomore middle blocker Ella Piskorz both tallied 12 kills in the contest, with Piskorz leading the Waves with five blocks. Freshman setter and Peoria, Arizona, product Tristen Raymond was all over the court for Pepperdine, as she led the team in both assists (28) and digs (16). 

In the first set, the Waves fired on all cylinders and jumped out to an early 14-6 lead. 

After a GCU timeout, it was more of the same from Pepperdine, as the Waves finished with an astounding .364 hitting percentage in the opening set. 

The Lopes managed to fend off four set points, but a serving error locked up a 25-18 win for Pepperdine to start the match. 

The second set was more competitive, as the Lopes clawed back from a 13-7 hole to tie up the set at 19-19. However, another costly service error from GCU sparked a 6-2 Waves run, with Pravednikov coming up with two crucial kills to secure a 25-21 second set victory and a 2-0 lead for Pepperdine. 

The third set is where momentum shifted, as sophomore libero Hunter West rattled off six straight points on service for the Lopes, aided heavily by four attack errors from the Waves. GCU’s attack never looked back, tallying 13 kills and 7 blocks in the third set. The Lopes cruised to a 25-17 victory. 

From this point on, the match was even all the way through, with neither team taking complete control until the final point. 

GCU kicked off the fourth set by building an early 5-2 lead, but Pepperdine quickly responded with a service ace from Raymond, tying the score at 9-9. That was just one of six ties that occurred in the fourth set. 

Shortly after, two kills from Ramirez paired with a Waves error evened the score at 15. Pepperdine answered back by picking up three points in a row, forcing a Lopes timeout. 

GCU clawed its way back and held serve at 22-22, yet another costly service error, followed by a kill from Pravednikov, set up the Waves with two match points and Briggs on serve, who leads the team in aces this season with 17. 

With a win just a point away, an attack error from the usually reliable redshirt junior middle blocker Natalie Polk, coupled with a faulty set from Raymond, caused Pepperdine to get in its own way. 

Moments later, Pravednikov missed an attack long, giving the Lopes a 25-24 lead and new life. After a Waves timeout, the serve from Nunez set up a free ball, and Ramirez gave Pepperdine no chance at a dig with a blazing kill to solidify a 26-24 fourth set victory for GCU and force a fifth set to 15 points to decide the winner. 

Despite losing the coin toss and starting the fifth set on the receiving end, the Lopes carried over the momentum from their unlikely escape in the fourth set and turned it into an early 5-0 lead, with Goodere putting down two pivotal kills. 

After the Waves picked up a necessary sideout by way of a kill from Polk, the GCU stood firm and held an 8-4 lead at the side switch. Pepperdine wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, as it strung together four straight points on Raymond’s serve to tie it at 9-9. 

The two sides traded blows for six straight points, setting up a 12-12 tie with Nunez on serve for the Lopes. Once again, the Waves became their own worst enemy, as Piskorz missed an attack deep to give GCU a 13-12 lead. 

Following a timeout called by Pepperdine, the Lopes elected to go to their best option in Ramirez, who placed a kill perfectly in the back left corner to set up match point for the Lopes. Briggs mishandled the serve from Nunez, and Pravednikov was unable to clear the net with a desperate attempt from the left side of the court. 

GCU’s bench, who had been very animated for the whole match, charged onto the court to celebrate an improbable win for the Lopes.

Grand Canyon improves to 7-2 on the season, marking its best start since 2021. The Lopes take on Milwaukee Friday at 3 p.m. MST at Desert Financial Arena, looking to improve to 2-0 at the Sun Devil Classic.

Pepperdine falls to 5-4 in 2025. The Waves have a tall task ahead of them, as they clash with No. 8 Arizona State in Tempe, Friday at 6 p.m. MST.