BYU squanders opportunities, loses to Grand Canyon in record fashion

Every set was there for the taking in No. 6 BYU’s 0-3 loss to Grand Canyon Friday evening at the Smith Fieldhouse. But the Cougars fell by a mere two points in all three games, the second-ranked Lopes sweeping BYU in Provo for the first time in program history.

Grand Canyon earned the victory with set scores of 34-32, 25-23, 25-23.

“Our stats were pretty aligned for the most part except for when it came to blocking and digs,” said BYU outside hitter Miks Ramanis, who finished the night with 13 kills on a .462 kill percentage. “It does suck a little bit, but there is a little bit of confidence in knowing we can keep up with teams that are No. 2. We can get our job done, but now it’s just really pushing through to get the final score.”

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The match marked both teams’ first contest of MPSF play on the year, the Lopes boasting the highest rank of any team in the league. Grand Canyon entered the contest as the lone undefeated Division I volleyball team in the country standing at 9-0. However, the school had not faced a team with a single digit rank next to its name until Friday, making the Lopes win over BYU a statement victory that helps validate their lofty ranking. 

Though the victory was a sweep, it did not come easy for Grand Canyon. The two schools played a tight first set, neither team going ahead by more than three points. Grand Canyon got its largest advantage at 24-21, but saw BYU erase that deficit and even take the lead behind impressive serving from senior opposite hitter Kupono Browne that kept the Cougars alive before the teams worked their way into the 30s. BYU had set point on five different occasions but could not capitalize on those opportunities, falling in a marathon game one. 

The Cougars and Lopes remained even in the second set, keeping things closer than the first by staying within two points of one another the entire way. Grand Canyon did just enough to pull away in the final moments though, scoring three of the last four points and securing another win by two. 

The final set began with a flurry of runs from both teams, BYU jumping ahead 8-4 before the Lopes scored four straight followed by another three consecutive points from the Cougars. Moments later, Grand Canyon tied things at 11-11. Another 3-0 Lopes run midway through the set put BYU on their heels and kept the visitors in control as they finished off an impressive sweep of their hosts. 

Despite the Cougars having dominated the early portion of the series with the Lopes, the pendulum has swung in Grand Canyon’s favor over the last few years. The Arizona school has got the best of BYU in five consecutive meetings now marking the longest win streak by either team in the history of the series.

After coming two points shy of victory in every set, Ramanis is optimistic the Cougars can take care of business against the Lopes. “In my mind, I know we can beat them,” he said. “If we … just get some really big swings throughout the rallies, I think that’ll really make a change.” 

BYU will try to end its losing streak against Grand Canyon tomorrow evening when it clashes again with the MPSF foe at the Smith Fieldhouse beginning at 7 p.m. The match can be watched live on BYUtv.