FAIRFAX, Va. - Senior Noelle Fanella and sophomore Lana Zonjic registered
double-figure kills as the George Mason women's volleyball team upended William
& Mary, 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21), on Saturday evening at the RAC.
The victory moved the Patriots (7-7) to .500 on the season and improved them to
2-0 in Colonial Athletic Association play, while the Tribe fell to 5-8 (0-2
CAA).
Fanella slammed 14 kills while Zonjic posted a
double-double, her second of the weekend, recording 12 kills and 11 digs. In
the latter category, senior Kelly McCarter led all players with 19 digs, while
Laura Spencer had nine blocks (three solo). Junior Lauren Goodell led the team
with 40 assists as she made her first career start at setter. Brooke
Bauernfeind led all players with 18 kills, one of three Tribe players to reach
double digits.
Both teams offenses struggled in the opening set, though
Mason jumped to an early lead at 5-1. W&M tied the score at eight. Down
13-12 to the Tribe, Mason launched a 10-3 run to take their largest lead of the
set at 22-16, and the Patriots went on to take the opening stanza.
The Patriots again started strong in the second set,
overcoming an early 2-0 deficit with four straight points. The set featured
nine tie scores and three lead changes, but with Mason's attack reaching .324
in the frame, the Patriots were able to take it. Trailing 19-14, the Tribe embarked
on a 8-2 run to take a 22-21 advantage, but four points in a row from the
Patriots sent the teams to the locker room with the home team leading 2-0.
Mason looked poised to complete the victory in the minimum
three sets, but again the Tribe mounted a late comeback. Again facing a 19-14
deficit, W&M took the lead and went on to win the third set using an 11-3
scoring span to close out the set. The Tribe hit .303 in the third, compared to
a .162 clip for Mason.
In the fourth, the Patriots found their best start with a
6-1 opening run. W&M tied the score at 10, though, and even led by two at 14-12.
Mason reclaimed the lead and after a back-and-forth battle which saw the score
tied at 21, the Patriots tallied four straight points to capture the victory.
Mason will next begin a three-match road trip, traveling next
Friday night to rival James Madison for a 7 p.m. matchup.
