Sept. 1, 2007

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason women's volleyball team proved to be anything but gracious hosts Saturday, as it defeated the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, 3-1 (30-20, 30-16, 27-30, 30-19), in the final match of the 2007 Brion's Grille Patriot Invitational to take the tournament crown. Earlier in the day, Mason notched a 3-0 shutout victory over Howard (30-16, 30-19, 30-19) to finish the day perfect.

In both matches, sophomore Rebecca Walter paced the Patriots' (4-2) attack, hitting double digits in kills in both matches. After her 11-kill performance against the Bison (0-6), Walter followed with a career-best 24 kills in the nightcap. For her efforts, she was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Joining Walter on the All-Tournament team were senior Jaqueline Kohler and sophomore Laura Turner. Kohler finished the day with 23 kills, including a double-double against the Mountain Hawks (1-5), as she recorded 15 digs to match her 15 kills. Turner, who recorded eight kills in both matches, was dominant at the net against Lehigh, as she tallied six blocks.

For the Mountain Hawks, Brittany Thurston led with 10 kills and was named to the All-Tournament team, along with Brittany Dickinson, who fell one dig short of a double-double with nine to go with her 13 assists.

Similar to its earlier match against Howard, a 3-2 Lehigh victory (21-30, 28-30, 30-15, 30-20, 15-6), the Mountain Hawks started out slow against the Patriots, who seized the opportunity by taking resounding wins in the first two games. Mason nearly completed the clean swee, using a fervent 9-1 run to bring the score to 29-27 in favor of Lehigh. However, a Mo McReynolds kill prevented the shutout and forced a fourth game with a 30-27 win.

Mason jumped out to an insurmountable lead right away in the fourth game, as Lehigh could move no closer than four points. A 7-2 scoring outburst gave the Patriots a 15-6 lead, a lead they would never relinquish. At one point, Mason led by as many as 13 points at 27-14, but the Patriots allowed the Mountain Hawks to set the final spread at 11.

Both freshman Patriots continued to shine on the court, as Fernanda Bartels recorded a match-high 45 assists while Holly Goode notched seven kills in the Lehigh match. Bartels also contributed six kills, two aces, and five blocks to round out the match.

Mason now departs the friendly confines of Linn Gym, where it has earned a 3-1 record already this season, as the Patriots begin a three-week road swing. First up for Mason is a trip to Pittsburgh next weekend, where the Patriots will face the host Panthers, as well as Buffalo and UAB in the two-day tournament.

The Patriots' next home date, a 7 p.m. match against Delaware on September 28, will be held across campus at the Recreation Sports Complex (Field House), as Linn Gym is set to begin renovations. Mason will remain at the Field House for the duration of the 2007 season.

2007 Brion's Grille Patriot Invitational All-Tournament Team

Rebecca Walter (Mason, MVP)
Jaqueline Kohler (Mason)
Laura Turner (Mason)
Brittany Dickinson (Lehigh)
Brittany Thurston (Lehigh)
Keri Partridge (Howard)