Feb. 12, 2005
Box Score
The George Mason men's volleyball team fell flat on its face in the first game on Saturday night against Ball State. The stumble didn't seem to have much of an affect on the 14th-ranked Patriots as they quietly rebounded to take a dominant win over the Cardinals, defeating Ball State 20-30, 30-23, 30-18, 30-23.
Shaun Powell continued his otherworldly play as he had a match-high 17 kills and committed just three errors en route to hitting .560 in the match. The junior outside hitter also added four digs and four block assists as the Patriots improved to 7-0 on the year. Ball State lost its second straight match to drop to 5-6 on the season.
The Cardinals hit .500 in the opening game and were dominant in every phase of the game. That changed drastically once the Patriots began passing the ball. Mason hit .324 in the match, including .522 in the third game, when Powell hit 1.000. Ball State, meanwhile, hit no better than .143 in any of the final three games, posting a -.115 mark in the third game.
Luis Castera was the only consistent offensive force for Ball State, as he had 13 kills. Ian Peckler's 10 digs helped keep the Cardinals in many points.
Matt Steinfurth saw his first significant action since the season opener. He has been saddled with several injuries but he looked superb in his return as he had 12 kills and committed no errors on 15 attacks for an .800 hitting percentage. He also had four block assists. Kyle Swanson added five block assists, Hudson Bates had nine kills and a team-high six digs and Felix Campos added 11 kills and two service aces.
What a difference a year has made for the Patriots. In 2004, they opened the season 0-11. This year, they are 7-0. Last year, they hit better than .300 in just six matches and were 2-17 when losing the opening game. This year, they have already hit better than .300 in six matches and are 2-0 when losing the opening game.
The Patriots return to action next weekend when they play at Mount Olive College on Saturday. Ball State returns to the court on Friday when the Cardinals play at Clarke.
