Oct. 9, 2010
Box Score
FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason women's volleyball team used a dominating 25-6 third set to cap off a sweep of UNC Wilmington on Saturday evening at the RAC, winning the first two sets by scores of 25-16 and 25-21.
The victory increases the first-place Patriots' lead over the Colonial Athletic Association standings as Mason is now 5-0 in conference play and 10-7 overall. The Seahawks fell to 6-13 and 1-4 in CAA play following the loss.
Junior Noelle Fanella led all players with 11 kills while senior Holly Goode chipped in 10 to pace a Mason offense which hit a blistering .395, including a mark of .562 in the third and final set. Sophomore Danielle Cook registered seven kills with no errors (.778) to complement her match-high five total blocks. Kelli Clear's 14 kills led the Seahawks.
Mason jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first set and never looked back, as the Patriots only trailed on the match's opening point which went to UNCW. Mason led by as many as nine pints, including the final margin as Mason hit .423 compared to .152 for the Seahawks.
In the second set, the Seahawks kept it close for a significant portion of the time. Mason could not shake UNCW and led 9-8 before opening up a 9-2 run to make the lead 18-10. The Seahawks rallied to pull within two points at 23-21, but a kill by Goode and a UNCW attack error put the ledger in favor of Mason, 2-0 heading into the locker room.
The third set was one of the most dominant performances by a Mason team in recent memory. Mason opened with the first five points and never had its lead threatened any closer than four points from then on. At 16-4, the Patriots put on one final push to score nine of the next 11 points and emphatically take its fifth straight victory.
Mason's season-long homestand continues next Friday with a match against William & Mary. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the RAC.
