Feb. 25, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. - After earning a three-game victory against host Rutgers-Newark on the opening day of The Golden Dome Classic on Saturday, George Mason (5-4) was unable to win both of its matches at the tournament, falling in four games to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (9-2) on the second and final evening of play on Sunday.

After dropping the first game 30-24, the Patriots won the second game by the same score to tie the match at a game apiece. The Highlanders won the next two games, though, by final scores of 30-23 and 30-25, to close out the match.

Three Patriots finished with double-digit kill totals in the match. Sophomore outside hitter Kyle Gramit led the team with 26 kills, while redshirt junior outside hitter Mark Burik and senior middle blocker Kyle Swanson finished with 19 and 10 kills, respectively. Redshirt junior setter Billy Freesmeier dished out a team-high 47 assists and senior libero Graham Sheppard recorded 13 digs to lead the team.

Two members of the Highlanders recorded double-doubles in the match as Leonardo Paludo registered a match-high 29 kills and 13 digs, and Amobi Armstrong finished with 14 kills and 10 digs.

Gramit was named to the All-Classic Team for his performance at the two-day tournament. He was joined on the team by Rutgers-Newark's Kenny Rienecker, Juniata's Matt Fritz and Dan Powers, and NJIT's Rodrigo Correa and Leonardo Paludo. Juniata's Matt Werle was named the Star-Ledger NJ.com MVP of the tournament.

George Mason's next match is scheduled for Sunday, March 4 at 2 p.m. at John Linn Memorial Gym against the eighth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. It will be the Patriots first home match since Jan. 27 and the second meeting of the season against Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat Mason in three games on Feb. 17 in Columbus, Ohio.