Sept. 25, 2009

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. - The George Mason women's volleyball team opened up the Colonial Athletic Association portion of its schedule on Friday evening at Viera Court, with Delaware defeating the Patriots in straight sets, 25-15, 25-20, 25-18.

Mason (11-5, 0-1 CAA) was led by eight kills from sophomore Noelle Fanella, who added 10 digs. Delaware (7-5, 1-0), which narrowly out-hit Mason by a .183-to-.100 margin, was paced by 10 kills from Kim Stewart.

The Patriots opened the match scoring four of the first five points, but the Blue Hens quickly took control by using a 15-4 run to lead 16-8. The gap was squeezed as close as six from there on out as the defending CAA champions earned the first set victory.

Mason again had the hot start in the second set, opening with a 5-1 run. The Patriots led by as many as seven at 13-6, before Delaware ultimately closed the gap, tying the score at 17. From there, Mason amassed just three more points as it swung -.053 in the frame.

The third set saw Mason's attack shift back into the black but the Blue Hens opened with the first three points and never trailed. The Patriots tied the score at 10 before a 7-0 run effectively put the match out of reach for the Green and Gold, who could advance no closer than five points.

The Patriots will close out their ten-match road trip on Saturday evening when they face Towson at 5 p.m.