Sept. 8, 2006

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. - After compiling a 3-3 record in two consecutive tournaments to open the season, Mason's women's volleyball team traveled to Newark, Del. on Friday evening to begin its Colonial Athletic Association schedule against the conference's only remaining undefeated team, the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. Delaware extended its winning streak to nine consecutive matches to start the season with a 3-0 (30-22, 30-21, 30-18) win over the Patriots at Barbara Viera Court in the Carpenter Sports Building.

The 9-0 record is the best start in school history for the Fightin' Blue Hens, whose previous best start was a 7-0 record to begin the 1976 campaign.

Delaware ranked first in the conference in opponents hitting percentage heading into the match, holding foes to a .137 mark, and Friday was more of the same for the Fightin' Blue Hens as the Patriots hit only .134 in the match. Mason's attack started the match on fire, though. Despite losing the first game 30-22, the Patriots hit .353 with 16 kills as a team. Delaware was even better, hitting .533 in the first game with 19 kills. After that game, Mason cooled off, hitting .056 and .024 in the second and third games. Delaware also cooled off, but only slightly, hitting .289 and .323 in the second and third games to finish at .374 on the night.

Three Patriots finished with double-digit kills. Freshman outside hitter Rebecca Walter led the team with 16, while junior outside hitter Jaqueline Kohler and freshman middle blocker Laura Turner both finished with 10. Turner hit .471 to pace the team. Freshman setter Katie Corcoran once again led the team with 33 assists, to go along with eight digs. Kohler and Walter also finished with eight digs in the match.

Delaware's junior outside hitter Colleen Walsh led all players with 20 kills on 34 attacks (.471). Junior setter Megan Welch, who ranks second in the nation in assists per game, had another outstanding effort, recording a match-high 40 assists. Senior libero Heather Ranck was the only player in the match to reach double-digits in digs, finishing with 12.

George Mason, now 3-4 overall and 0-1 in CAA action, will attempt to win its first conference match of the season on Saturday when the team travels to Towson, Md. to take on the Towson Tigers at the Towson Center at 5 p.m. The Tigers had a 5-2 overall record heading into their conference opener against the James Madison Dukes on Friday night.

Tomorrow's match will be the first meeting between the two teams since former George Mason assistant coach Paul Koncir took over as the head coach at Towson before the start of the 2006 season.