Disappointed, but extremely satisfied.
 
Reaching this level for the first time in the 10 years of the program, the Grand Canyon University Club A Cappella Canyon Crescendos gave a rousing performance at the Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella Southwest Semifinals in Scottsdale Sunday afternoon, finishing 5^th among the 10-team field. The result ends an exhilarating run through the postseason for the Lopes, who qualified for this step after two previous years of missing it by one spot.
 
"The fact that the group advanced to the semifinal and got to perform among the top groups in the Southwest really show much GCU's A Cappella scene is growing each year," said Lopes' Student Leader Enrique Urbina. "It's incredible to see the progress from four years ago to now. It honestly feels like a whole new level, and it's only the beginning for us."
 
The semifinal competition featured teams from a wide swath that stretched from Arizona and California all the way to Texas and Nebraska. The Lopes drew the No. 9 position in the event, meaning a wait of nearly 2 ½ hours before they took the stage. Once they did, they belted out the same Elyse Reed-arranged three-song set (per the rules of the competition) they performed at last month's quarterfinals: a "Follow Me"/"Butterflies & Hurricanes" mashup from Muse; Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" and "Stand" from Yebba. The Crescendos didn't get the official results for another two hours after that, but their spirits weren't dampened when they found out it was Baylor University's VirtuOSO who won the event and the trip to New York City, New York for the championship round next month.
 
"The team was really satisfied with our performance," said Reed. "We were all very excited to have made it that far, and that energy came across during our performance. Overall, it was a genuinely rewarding experience despite not advancing."
 
The Lopes' final event of the 2025-26 season will be their annual GCU Spring Showcase, which will be held on the GCU campus April 10. Exact time and location will be announced on the GCU Club Sports website in the coming days.