Sept. 16, 2006

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason (4-6, 1-3 CAA) jumped out to an early lead but couldn't hold on as it fell in four games (30-26, 26-30, 22-30, 27-30) at the hands of CAA rival Georgia State (4-7, 2-2 CAA) in the second conference home match of the season at John Linn Memorial Gym on Saturday evening.

The Patriots started off on the right track, winning a hotly contested first game that featured 12 ties and seven lead changes. Mason took control at the end of the game, erasing a 23-20 deficit to tie the score at 23 apiece with three consecutive points. With the score tied, the Panthers regained a one-point lead on sophomore middle blocker Leah Tenney's kill. The lead was short-lived; however, as the Patriots scored five consecutive points to take a 28-24 advantage. Freshman outside hitter Rebecca Walter closed out the run with two consecutive kills. The two sides exchanged the next three points, until Walter closed out the game with a kill off a perfectly set ball by freshman Katie Corcoran.

The second game was just as competitive, with 12 ties and six lead changes, and the Patriots actually held the lead late at 23-22 after junior outside hitter Jaqueline Kohler's kill. Mason was unable to hold on; however, as Georgia State closed out the game with an 8-3 run to tie the score at one game apiece.

In the third game, the Patriots were within three points at 25-22, but the Panthers scored the final five points of the game to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Mason came all the way back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth game, and trailed by only one at 27-26 after a double block by Walter and senior Chantal Bodkin-Clarke. After the block, the Panthers scored the next two points to set up match point, and after Mason cut the deficit back to two on Bodkin-Clarke's kill, Georgia State put an end to the rally, and closed out the match, on junior Amy Lusk's kill.

Three Patriots posted double-digit kill totals. Walter recorded a match-high 18, Kohler finished with 15 and Bodkin-Clarke chipped in 11. Corcoran recorded her eighth double-double on the season with a match-high 50 assists to go along with 11 digs. Kohler led all players with 20 digs, tying her career high. Freshman Sam Simmonds set several career highs in the match with six kills, three assists, five aces, 11 digs and six total blocks.

The Panthers were led by Lusk's 14 kills, freshman Noelle Boyd's 44 assists and senior libero Christen Garcia's 18 digs. Both Lusk and Tenney recorded five total blocks in the match.

The Patriots play again on Friday, Sept. 22 when they face the Virginia Commonwealth Rams in a 7 p.m. Colonial Athletic Association match at John Linn Memorial Gym.