FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason women's volleyball team posted four
double-doubles and for the fourth straight match forced a fifth set, but the
Patriots could not overtake James Madison in a 3-2 loss Saturday evening at the
RAC. Set scores were 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 15-12.
Mason dropped to 7-17 overall and 2-10 in the Colonial
Athletic Association while the Dukes improved to 19-8, 9-4 in CAA play.
Sophomore Lana Zonijc led the Mason offense with 16 kills
and added 17 digs, while senior Noelle Fanelle and sophomore Tori Price also
recorded double-digit kill totals with 15 and 10, respectively. The duo also
had 18 digs and 12 digs, respectively, good for double-doubles. Junior Lauren
Goodell had 47 assists to go with 10 digs, while sophomore Laura Spencer led
the Mason blockers with eight blocks (one solo).
Natalie Abel led a quartet of Dukes with double figure kills
as she scored 21, along with a match high 20 digs. Holly Wall added 15 kills
and 13 digs, Kristi Richardson had 50 assists, 18 digs and 11 kills for a
triple-double, while Danielle Erb (17 digs, 10 kills) completed the
double-double scorers for the Dukes. Mason out-hit the Dukes by a .229-to-.199
margin, and held a 13-to-7 blocks advantage at the net.
Mason never trailed in the first set and nearly came back in
the second, pulling within two points late. JMU broke open a 21-21 tie in the
third set with four straight points, but Mason forced the fifth set as they
bounced back from a 5-0 JMU run to begin the fourth. Mason led for the
remainder of the fourth after a 5-1 run broke open a 13-all tie.
In the fifth, the teams were within three points throughout,
with JMU breaking a 10-10 deadlock with three straight points. Mason cut it to
14-12 on a Zonjic kill but Richardson's kill closed out the match and gave the
Dukes a season sweep after a 3-0 win in Harrisonburg in September.
The Patriots close out the 2011 season next weekend at home,
beginning Friday night with a 7 p.m. match against Towson before a Senior Day
season finale on Saturday at 5 p.m. versus Delaware.
