Aug. 29, 2008
Box Score
FAIRFAX, Va. - Junior Rebecca Walter, a preseason All-CAA nominee, recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs as the George Mason women's volleyball team opened their season on Friday evening at the Field House with a 3-0 loss to Georgetown in the second match of the D.C. Volleyball Challenge. Game scores were 25-22, 25-17, and 25-23.
Mason (0-1) started strong in the first set with a .265 hitting percentage, but the Hoyas (1-0) narrowly edged the Patriots to take the early lead. The Patriots had an early six-point advantage but Georgetown retook the lead at 19-18. The Patriots continued to push the Hoyas, closing the gap to 24-22 on the third set point, but Georgetown ultimately recorded the victory. Walter tallied eight of her match-high 14 kills in the set.
The Patriots' attack faltered in the second set, dipping to -.056 as Mason recorded seven kills on 36 attempts with nine errors. A Walter kill pushed the deficit to just 14-12, but the Hoyas responded with a 6-2 run to seize control of the set.
In the third and final set, the teams played a back-and-forth battle with neither side earning a lead larger than four. However, the Hoyas took control with a 5-2 run to leave the score 22-16. Mason mounted a furious charge to pull the set within one point with a 7-2 rally of their own at 24-23, but the Hoyas called timeout and were able to seal the victory on the very next point.
Georgetown was led by 11 kills from Sara Manley and 10 kills from Jessica Hardy, who also recorded a double-double with 11 digs. Overall, Mason out-blocked the Hoyas 9-to-3, but Georgetown held a .208-to-.126 hitting advantage.
In the first match of the evening, George Washington rallied from a two-set deficit to claim a 3-2 (16-25, 10-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-12) victory over American. Leah Hill and MacKenzie Knox led the Colonials (1-0) with 14 and 11 kills each, while Rubena Sukaj paced the Eagle attack with 22 kills and 16 digs.
The Patriots are back in action on Saturday morning as the D.C. Volleyball Challenge shifts venues to GW's Smith Center. Mason faces the host Colonials at 11 a.m., followed by a 5 p.m. matchup against American.
