They knew it immediately.
 
Both Grand Canyon University Men's Lacrosse player Jake Hives and Grand Canyon University Women's Rugby player Kloe Williams came from a couple of states away to begin their college careers at GCU. Unlike many of their freshman counterparts, though, they found a connection with their teams and their campus even before they ever stepped foot on Arizona soil. That – and their contributions to their programs during busy four-year careers – more than qualify them to be our GCU Club Sports April Student-Athletes of the Month.

Jake Hives: Men's Lacrosse 
 
A four-year starter. A student leader. And now, GCU Club Sports Student-Athlete of the Month.
 
GCU Men's Lacrosse senior goalie Jake Hives has earned the honor for March after two wins against nationally ranked opponents that helped propel his team to a playoff berth, capping off a standout career that began way back when Lopes' Head Coach Jeff Guy first reached out to the Littleton, Colorado, native.
 
"I knew I wanted to play college lacrosse and stay on the West Coast," said Hives. "Coach Guy got in touch, and after touring the campus a few times, I just fell in love with the place."
 
After coming to the team as a freshman far more reserved than today, Hives quickly made his presence felt on the field, earning a starting role in goal on a Lopes' team that ended with a 7-7 record and finished 2^nd in the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference, punching a ticket to the 2022 MCLA National Tournament in the process.
 
"To come in and have success as a freshman was a little scary, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a good time," Hives laughed. "The upperclassmen really welcomed me in and helped me get comfortable."
 
That comfort led to confidence – and leadership.
 
"Coach Guy named me a captain after my freshman year, and that really helped me grow into more of a leader," said Hives. "I've also been part of the Club Sports Leadership class, which has been a great learning experience with the speakers and everything we've been exposed to throughout the years."
 
It's been quite the journey for Hives, who started playing lacrosse in the second grade and stumbled into the goalie position by chance at a fifth-grade tournament.
 
"My travel team needed a goalie kind of last minute and I decided to give it a try," said Hives. "My coach at the time trusted me to play the position for the weekend and the rest is history."
 
From an outside perspective, goalie might not seem like the most exciting position. There's no glamour in being the target for other teams.
 
But Hives wouldn't have it any other way.
 
"The feeling of making a save is what I enjoy the most," said Hives. "I also love being a vocal leader for the defense and the team."
 
Hives' story isn't complete without recognizing the team's journey over his four years. From a strong freshman season to postseason absences in the middle of his career, Hives and his fellow seniors made a point to reset the standard.
 
"After my sophomore year, and especially last year, the seniors got together and committed to turning things around," said Hives. "We knew we had to be more accountable as a group, and I think that's helped us all a ton this season. Now we're all graduating, so this last year has definitely meant a little bit more.""
 
The record shows. The Lopes secured a spot at the 2025 SLC Tournament. Hives, a huge part of that success, has saved 197 shots this season and scooped 15 ground balls.
 
Graduating this week with a business management degree, Hives plans to move back to Denver to pursue a job in tech sales while continuing his education with an online master's program at GCU. He attributes much of his growth - on and off the field - both to his faith and to those around him.
 
"My faith is a big part of what led me to come here, and it's what I have to attribute all of my success to - both as an athlete and a student," said Hives. "Coach Guy has always pushed me here to be a better lacrosse player and a better man."

Kloe Williams: Women's Rugby
 
"This place has become so 'home' for me. More home than Idaho. When I'm back in Boise, I just want to be back here at school. It's such a hard place to say goodbye."
 
Four years has blown by for GCU Women's Rugby player Kloe Williams. It's not that she isn't prepared for the next stage of life. Williams is ready to go earn her master's degree and get into coaching rugby. It's not that she doesn't miss her hometown of Boise, Idaho, and her parents and four siblings who still live there. She has tons of memories and loves her family dearly. It's just… well…
 
"The first time I came to campus, I just knew. It felt right," said Williams. "So many kids I was around (in high school) were sending 20 million resumes and stressing, and I didn't want that. I just knew. It just seemed like every door opened at the right time. I've become so much of who I am here. I've grown into so many facets of who I am now, so it's so hard to leave that."
 
Later this week, though, Williams will put on a black gown, turn the tassel and walk out of Global Credit Union Arena a GCU graduate with a Bachelor's in Exercise Science (with a minor in Nutritional Sciences and an emphasis in Sports Performance). Inevitably, she'll take a moment while celebrating with the other grads in the quad to ponder what a magical career she's had at a place that checked boxes she didn't even know about until her senior year at Boise's Eagle High School, where she earned high school All-American honors as a four-year rugby player.
 
"I've always loved the heat, wanted to go to a school in Arizona and a Christian school at that," said Williams. "It wound being the only school I applied to, since I emailed (Lopes' Head Coach) Lindsey (Mahoney) that I was interested, and within five minutes, she called me and was so nice. 'We'll get you down here, you'll meet the girls, etc.' I knew right then what an amazing human being she was."
 
The connection between Williams, the team and the campus was beginning but wasn't immediate. It took time.
 
"My freshman year, I got really close with a lot of girls, but I had other friends," Williams said. "My living situation wasn't good as a sophomore, so I'd meet with my teammates constantly, and we'd literally do everything together. Once I got that closeness, it helped me so much. I then went back home for a summer but have been here ever since."
 
Williams was also very aware how important finding and knowing her place on the team could affect the team's success, which has taken her and her teammates to the precipice of a national title a year ago, and a historic start to the 2025 season that saw the Lopes score nearly 400 unanswered points before allowing any.
 
"I knew as a freshman that I had to respect the experienced girls, but now as a senior, I'm worrying about other people more than myself," said Williams. "Another shift was that when I came, I was playing rugby for myself. Now I take a lot of pride in my program, take it very seriously, and am very protective of it. It's an honor to play for this team, and I will protect it against those who don't respect that."
 
Kloe isn't bashful about what she's passionate about (which is everything if you ask her), but she's learned to know your audience while you're zeroing in on things. That's one reason that while her spirituality is paramount to her, she senses even her closest teammates may not know where it comes from.
 
"I'm not sure they know that my dad's a pastor," said Williams. "I go about my faith like my father. I'm not going to push it on anyone, but I will always be there to talk about it. I say how it is, but I'm also aware of my surroundings, so I'm going to be careful."
 
Williams has made a difference on so many fronts, and her passion for them has created a lifeline that she doesn't want to lose.
 
"I've learned how to care for people well and went to a college where I felt like I belonged, so it's awesome that it's so hard to say goodbye," said Williams. "Club Sports here is legit and has put me in a position to have a balance. Giving me spots to expand and areas to grow. This rugby program is just beginning for us, and it's something that's happening here and not happening other places. I'm so incredibly blessed that God decided that I could be a part of it, and I wouldn't change a single thing about it."