HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Junior Danielle Cook slammed 13 kills on .600 hitting while
sophomore Laura Spencer added a career-high 10, but it wasn't enough to lead
the George Mason women's volleyball team to victory as the Patriots fell 3-1 to
Central Michigan on Friday. Set scores were 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-16 in the
opening match of the Thunder Invitational, hosted by Marshall. Mason falls to
3-7 following the loss, while the Chippewas improved to 5-4.
Senior Kelly McCarter tallied 15 digs while classmate Kelsey
Bohman added four blocks to lead the Mason defensive effort. For CMU, Lindsey
Dulude recorded 24 kills and 17 digs to pace the Chippewas.
The match was close early on with the first set's margin
kept within two points, until a 6-0 CMU run made it 14-9. The Chippewa lead
grew as large as seven before the Patriots stormed back to within a pair of
points, and after a series of sideouts, CMU won the set on their second attempt
behind a Mason service error.
Central Michigan jumped out to an early lead and never
looked back in the second set, opening with four of the first five points. It
was a margin that would grow as large as eight points before, again, the
Patriots mounted a comeback. Trailing 17-9, Mason fired off seven straight to cut
the deficit to one. It did not grow beyond two points until two Dulude kills
along with a Mason attack error closed out the set in favor of the Chippewas.
Mason started strong in the third, opening with a 6-2 run,
and held the lead throughout the set. The Patriots advantage grew to five at
19-14, and after a 5-1 CMU run made it 20-19, Mason was able to hold off its
opponent to make it two sets to one.
In the fourth set, the lead changed hands three times in a
narrow contest, before Central Michigan opened it up with an 8-1 run which
broke an 11-11 deadlock. Five points
would be the closest Mason would get in the remainder of the match as the
Chippewas prevented another Mason comeback to force a fifth set.
The Patriots are back in action Saturday, facing the host
Thundering Herd at 12:30 p.m. before their non-conference finale against East
Carolina at 5:30 p.m.
