Sept. 26, 2009

Box Score

TOWSON, Md. - The George Mason women's volleyball team closed out a 10-match road swing with its first Colonial Athletic Association victory of the 2009 season, as the Patriots swept the Towson Tigers (25-20, 25-21, 25-14) on Saturday evening at Towson Center.

Mason (12-5, 1-1 CAA) out-hit the Tigers (8-8, 1-1) by a .188-to-.048 margin, with sophomore Noelle Fanella leading the way for the second straight match with nine kills. Classmate Katrina Boryc led all players with 12 digs, while Britney Loomis paced the Tigers with seven kills.

The Patriots opened with a hot start, winning eight of the first 10 points. Towson answered back to get as close as one, including at 13-12, but four straight points by the Patriots preserved the lead and the Tigers advanced no closer than three for the duration of the set.

In the second set, both teams had their strongest attack, with Mason registering a hitting percentage of .290 compared to .216 for the Tigers. The teams were even through the first 20 points, but Towson took control and opened up a lead as large as 18-14. That advantage quickly evaporated as an 11-3 run by the Patriots closed out the second set to put Mason up two sets to one.

Another quick start for the Patriots opened the third set, with Mason leading 9-3 before Towson cut the gap to 9-7. From there on, the lead would not be questioned as a 10-4 scoring run by Mason effectively put the match out of the Tigers' reach at 19-10, and the Patriots cruised to the sweep.

Mason returns home to open its October schedule as it hosts VCU on Friday evening. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Recreation & Athletic Complex in Fairfax.