Aug. 30, 2008

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The George Mason women's volleyball team continued play in the D.C. Volleyball Challenge on Saturday afternoon, falling 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 25-27, 25-19) to George Washington at the Smith Center. GW (2-0) won its second game of the weekend after holding off the Patriots (0-2) in the first match of the day.

Junior Rebecca Walter and freshman Noelle Fanella each recorded 10 kills to lead the Mason offense, while Leah Hill had 20 kills and 12 digs to pace the Colonials. Sophomore Fernanda Bartels had 43 assists and senior Chelsea Kropp had 15 digs.

GW used a blistering .467 attack in the first set to take early control of the match, though the Patriots kept the set close throughout. Jumping out to a 4-1 lead, GW allowed Mason to tie the score at six. Neither team led by more than three points until the Colonials took a 22-18 lead off a block by MacKenzie Knox and Katie Butz. From there, Mason could score only two more points while the Colonials took the first set.

The second set was an even closer affair, with neither team earning a lead larger than two points until GW scored the final point, giving it a 25-22 set win and a 2-0 lead in the match. Again in the third set, neither team was able to pull away, as the Patriots cut their deficit to one set after converting their third set point opportunity when Fanella and fellow freshman Kelsey Bohman recorded a successful block.

However, the Colonials began to pull away in the fourth set when, after Mason cut the GW lead to 12-11, they used a 9-2 run and ultimately held off the Patriots for the match.

The Patriots are back in action this afternoon when they seek their first win of the season against American at 5 p.m. at the Smith Center.