Feb. 18, 2006

Box Score

NEW YORK - No. 14 George Mason's stellar .510 team hitting percentage, tied for the sixth-best single-match mark in school history, carried the Patriots to a three-games-to-one victory over EIVA Conference rival New York University on Saturday at Coles Sports Center in New York City. With the win, Mason improves to 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the EIVA Tait Division, while New York University falls to 4-8 and 0-7 in conference play.

The Patriots won the first game 30-21, dropped the second game 30-26 and closed out the match with identical winning scores of 30-20 in the final two games. Mason posted a hitting percentage above .600 in all three games it won, while the Patriots hit .233 as a team in the only game they lost. Redshirt senior opposite hitter Shaun Powell, sophomore outside hitter Hudson Bates and freshman outside hitter Kyle Gramit all posted double-digit kill totals, with Powell leading the way with 18 in the match.

At the opposite end of the spectrum was the New York University attack. The Violets hit .153 as a team, posting their highest total in the second game at .259. In the three losses, NYU hit .048, .135 and .154

The Patriots also served well in the match. Bates led the way with three aces, while Powell and senior middle blocker Matt Steinfurth both added two.

George Mason plays again on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in an EIVA Conference match against Juniata at the Memorial Gymnasium in Huntingdon, Pa.