Grand Canyon University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Grand Canyon couldn't have asked for a better ending to its 2014 women's volleyball season.

The Antelopes added two more wins Saturday to go 4-0 and win the GCU Invitational, a tournament for programs in the NCAA transition period or independent from a conference. At Antelope Gymnasium, the Lopes (21-11) picked up a pair of 3-2 wins over NJIT and Omaha.

It was the program's third 20-win season in the last four and fourth in the last six years. It marked GCU's first 20-win season as an NCAA Division I program, in only its second year.

To top off the night, senior outside hitter Shannon Dugan was named the tournament MVP and senior libero Mackenzie Phelps was selected to the all-tournament team.
Dugan had two double-doubles Saturday, tallying 16 kills in each match. She had 20 digs against NJIT and 11 digs against Omaha. Dugan led the Western Athletic Conference in double-doubles and finished the season with 18. She also set a new GCU single-season record for kills with 455. The record had stood at 453 since Shery Lou Tieman achieved it in 1990.

Phelps, too, adding to her long list of GCU digs record. With 25 against NJIT and 35 against Omaha, the program's all-time leader finished her four-year career with 2,542, over 800 more than Laurann Durbin's 1,730 (2008-11). She also surpassed her own single-season mark, finishing the year at 665. Four more than the 661 she achieved in 2012. Her four seasons at GCU are all in the top six of single-season chart.

Antelope senior Hayleigh Friemoth was also a big contributor in Saturday's success. She had 11 kills, one shy of her season high, and seven digs in the win over NJIT.

"It was good to see all three seniors contribute today," said GCU coach Kris Naber, finishing her 20th season at the helm. "So much of the success of this year's group goes to these three seniors. With what they have done on and off the court, they have led the way and are part of the foundation for this program in the Division I era. They're in the community, good students and they have bought in to what we do on the court."

In both wins, GCU had to come back from being down 2-1. Against NJIT, GCU won by set scores of 20-25, 28-26, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13. Four players had double figures kills, as frosh Natalie Tardy and sophomore Megan Byrnes joined Dugan and Friemoth with 11 each.

Sophomore Michelle Steagall had 108 assists on the day, including 56 in the win over Omaha. She also had a career-best 17 digs in the win.

Freshmen middle hitters Hannah Hicks and Gracie Dimond had productive days, too. Hicks had a career-best 13 kills in the win over Omaha. She did it on 25 swings (.520) and without an error. Dimond had nine kills and seven block assists in the finale over the Mavs. Sophomore middle hitter Hannah Hankins had five kills, five blocks and two service aces against NJIT. Freshman defensive specialist Emily Vitel had a pair of double-digit dig performances with 10 against NJIT and 11 versus Omaha.

Ten of GCU's 21 wins came in five-set matches. The Lopes finished 10-3 in the marathon contests for the season.

"It wouldn't have been right to not end the year with five-sets," said the happy coach. "I think, win or lose,  going five gave this team more time together.

"You look at all of our five-set wins and it shows how our girls are fighters and they believe in each other, the program and what we're asking them to do. They've learned how to battle to the last point."
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GCU Invitational All-Tournament Team
Angelique Vidaurri – UIW
Anisa Smith – UML
Valorie Carroll – NJIT
Megan Schmale – UMO
Kelley Wollak – UNO
Mackenzie Phelps – GCU
Shannon Dugan – GCU (MVP)
 
GCU 3, NJIT 2
GCU 3, UNO 2