MALIBU, Calif. – In a four-set bout on Thursday night, the Pepperdine men's volleyball team took the match against MPSF foe, No. 12 Grand Canyon, posting 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, and 25-22 set scores. 
Cole Hartke had a statement match, propelling the Waves to their first conference win by tabbing 18 kills on a .552 clip, also adding two service aces and three digs. Ryan Barnett also captained the Waves' efficient offense with 10 kills, three service aces, two blocks, and a team-high eight digs. James Eadie tied his career-high six blocks, with four being solo rejections, while also adding nine kills and an ace. 
 
BIG WAVES
Gabe Dyer (Gr./San Clemente, Calif./ Saddleback Valley Christian School/ UCSD): 47 assists, 3 kills, 1 block
Cole Hartke (Fr./Barrington, Ill./ Barrington HS): 18 kills, 2 service aces, .552 hitting %
James Eadie (R-So./Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS): 9 kills, 6 blocks (4 solo), 1 ace
Ryan Barnett: (R-Jr./Westhampton Beach, N.Y./ Saint Edward's School): 10 kills, 8 digs, 3 aces, 2 blocks
 
WAVES VS. LOPES
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          14        3          23        .478
2          13        3          25        .400
3          14        4          30        .333
4          17        2          38        .395     
TTL      58        12        116      .397
 
GCU ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          12        3          25        .360
2          19        2          30        .567
3          11        3          26        .308
4          18        4          37        .378     
TTL      60        12        118      .407
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Pepperdine opened the first set of MPSF play by creating a strong lead, at one point having a seven-point advantage. Kills from Matt Mazur, Gabe Dyer, and George Dyer allowed the Waves to take a 17-10 lead, but Pepperdine service errors followed by Grand Canyon service aces would allow the Lopes to catch up. With the Waves leading at 20-18, errors by the Lopes, combined with kills from James Eadie and George Dyer, would allow the home team to ultimately take set one, 25-22. 
Throughout set two, it would be the Lopes that built a steady lead, hitting an efficient .567 and tabbing 19 kills. Attacking errors plagued the start of the set, and although the Waves would attempt to chip away at their deficit, getting within two points of Grand Canyon at 21-23, Pepperdine's 13 kills would not be enough. Four separate Waves had three kills in the second set, with Ethan Watson and Ryan Barnett swinging a .750 success rate, but Grand Canyon was ultimately able to take set two, 25-23. 
During set three, Cole Hartke brought an unmatched energy to the floor, adding eight kills on 15 swings for the Waves. The set was back and forth, with each team coming within a point of each other throughout the entire set, but a 5-0 run in the beginning built a strong momentum for Pepperdine. Keeping Barnett at the service line, he was able to secure three aces, forcing GCU to a timeout at 6-3. The Lopes were able to tally 11 kills and had two rejections at the net, but it would not be enough to take the set, allowing the Waves to earn set three, 25-22. 
Set four was the most competitive of the match, featuring six tied scores and four lead changes. The Waves built an early lead, with a 15-10 advantage, but a 3-0 Lope run would change the tide for the rest of the set. Two solo rejections from Eadie and two aces at the service line from Hartke allowed Pepperdine to take the advantage in the set, posting 17 kills as a team and three blocks. The Lopes and Waves went point-for-point in the last plays of the match, but a kill from Hartke allowed Pepperdine to ultimately secure set and match point, 25-22.  
 
UP NEXT
Pepperdine will take on No. 12 Grand Canyon again Friday night at 7 p.m.
 
FOLLOW
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter, @WavesVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @peppvolley.  Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.