Grand Canyon volleyball stayed within striking distance throughout the first two sets Saturday night but could not break through, falling 25-20, 25-22, 25-18 to San Francisco at Global Credit Union Arena.
Junior middle blocker Aubrey Goodere led an efficient effort in the middle for the Lopes (2-3), putting down six kills without an error on nine swings for a .667 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Bella Nunez led GCU with seven kills while adding 12 assists and five digs.
Senior libero Bella Anderson anchored the back row with a match-high 17 digs, while junior setter Taylor Kubacak recorded 20 assists.
GCU opened the match with a 3-0 run and maintained the early advantage, moving ahead 6-3 before San Francisco began working its way back.
The teams traded points through the middle of the set, with GCU pulling even at 15-15. San Francisco created the first significant separation from there, scoring eight of the next 11 points to take a 23-18 lead.
Fifth-year opposite hitter Starr Williams answered with a kill to make it 23-19, and freshman outside hitter Gentry Oblad later added a kill, but San Francisco closed the 25-20 opening-set win. The Dons hit .429 in the set with 13 kills and only one attack error.
The Lopes faced their largest deficit of the second set at 18-10 before mounting their best run of the night.
Goodere started the comeback with a kill before freshman middle blocker Kaela Jenkins provided a spark off the bench in her collegiate debut. Jenkins recorded consecutive kills to pull GCU within 18-17, then Nunez followed with a kill that gave the Lopes a 19-18 lead and capped a 9-0 GCU run.
From there, neither side could create separation. Nunez put down another kill to tie the set at 21-21 before Goodere and Nunez combined on a block to make it 22-22.
San Francisco responded with the final three points, however, using a kill and two GCU attack errors to escape with a 25-22 win and take a 2-0 match lead.
GCU started quickly again in the third, jumping ahead 5-2. San Francisco responded with an extended run that turned the early deficit into a 15-8 advantage.
The Lopes continued to battle late. Jenkins recorded back-to-back kills to make it 19-14, and GCU eventually cut the deficit to 23-18 behind kills from Williams, freshman outside hitter Milica Zigic and Nunez.
Goodere’s six kills led a group of GCU attackers who found success in limited opportunities. Sophomore opposite hitter Macey Hughes finished with four kills on seven swings for a .571 hitting percentage, while Jenkins added four kills in two sets.
San Francisco (3-3) outhit GCU .310 to .171 and finished with a 40-34 advantage in kills. The teams each recorded 45 digs, while the Dons held a 6-3 advantage in blocks.
GCU closes the GCU Invitational on Sunday against Temple at 2 p.m. The Owls have not dropped a set in their first two matches of the invitational.