Oct. 23, 2010
Box Score
HARRISONBURG, Va. - For the second match in a row, the George Mason women's volleyball team forced a fifth set against a Colonial Athletic Association, and the result stayed the same as the Patriots dropped their second conference match, this time a 3-2 loss at James Madison Saturday evening. Set scores were 25-21, 24-26, 25-16, 20-25, 16-14.
Unlike the loss to VCU last weekend, Mason (11-9, 6-2 CAA) nearly took the fifth and deciding set over the Dukes (18-5, 6-2). A razor-thin margin separated the teams in the fifth, with 12 ties and six changes of lead. Mason had match point leading 14-13, but three straight Dukes scores gave Madison the victory.
Three Patriots reached double-digit kills, led by 15 from senior Holly Goode. She along with freshman Lana Zonjic (13 kills) recorded double-doubles by adding 11 digs, while sophomore Danielle Cook added 10 kills. Five different Mason players registered double figures in digs, led by 18 from junior Noelle Fanella. Classmate Kelsey Bohman had a match-high with her eight total blocks.
JMU's Lindsay Callahan had 16 kills to lead all players, while Katie Daorai did the same with 31 digs.
The Dukes pulled away from Mason in the first set with four straight points, breaking an 18-18 tie. In the second, the Patriots had a hot start with a 10-2 run to open the set, and after the Dukes tied it at 22 and had an opportunity to go up two sets at 24-22, four straight points including a pair of blocks by Bohman and senior Fernanda Bartels evened the match.
After an initial 2-0 lead in the third set, Mason trailed the remainder of the frame but rebounded in the fourth set. Tied at 18, the Green and Gold posted five of the next six points and a block by Goode and Cook at 24-20 sent the match into the decisive fifth set.
The loss drops the Patriots out of sole possession of first place in the CAA standings, as the Patriots are currently tied with the Dukes in third place.
Mason continues its road trip next weekend with matches at Towson and Delaware on Friday and Saturday night.
