NORTH ANDOVER, MA. – The Merrimack Men's Volleyball team took on the number two ranked team in the nation, Grand Canyon University, falling in four sets after stealing a 3rd set victory over the Lopes.
The Basics
Score: GCU 3,
Merrimack 1
Records: GCU (7-0),
Merrimack (1-4)
How It Happened
Grand Canyon entered this game as the number two team in the entire nation. Merrimack had already faced off against three ranked opponents before coming into this matchup. The Lopes would be the 4th ranked team they would play. The first set commenced with a Merrimack score and it was tight throughout the early portion of the set. Grand Canyon began to pull away when they went up 17 to 11 and would eventually close out the first set by a score of 25-18. The Warriors started the second set with a 3 to 0 blitz of the Lopes. GCU quickly tied the match up and gathered a lead that the Warriors could not come back from. The Lopes would go on to take a commanding two sets to zero lead with a set two victory, 25-17.
The third set showed just how great this Merrimack team can be. The Warriors pushed the number two team in the nation to the absolute brink. It was close early but GCU started to pull away midway through the set with a 13 to 8 lead. Credit to Merrimack, who didn't back down one bit. MC went on a 11 to 2 run that put them ahead 19 to 15 and suddenly they had full control of the set in a match against one of the best teams in the country. The electricity in the building was unbelievable. While the Lopes fought their way back It was the Warriors closing out the third set and forcing a fourth set with a 25 to 23 win over GCU after yet another
Logan Whitaker kill. With the fourth set upon us coach Ray Lewis was looking to channel a little bit more magic out of his Warriors and force Grand Canyon to their first fifth set of the year. Early on the momentum was all Warriors and it looked like that fifth set might just happen in Hammel. However, after it was tied up at 11 apiece, the Lopes would finish out the fourth set on a 14 to 6 run ending the Mack magic.
Notes and Numbers
Up Next
Merrimack will play a road game in New York against Dominican University on Saturday February 3rd at 8:00 PM.
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