HARRISONBURG, Va. - The George Mason women's volleyball team was dealt its first conference loss of the season on Friday night as it traveled to James Madison, falling in straight sets to the Dukes in Colonial Athletic Association action. Set scores were 25-19, 25-21, 25-15.

Mason dropped to 7-8 and 2-1 in CAA play, while the Dukes improved to 12-4, including a 3-0 mark in conference. Senior Noelle Fanella led the Mason offense with nine kills, while classmates Kelly McCarter and Kelsey Bohman also had team highs with 16 digs and four blocks, respectively. Sophomore Tori Price registered a match-high with 28 assists. Holly Wall's 11 kills led all players, one of two Dukes to reach double figures.

JMU never trailed in the opening set, opening with a 5-1 run. Mason got within a point at 11-10, but a 9-2 Dukes run made the score 20-12. A 5-1 scoring stretch by the Patriots got them within four at 21-17,  but the Dukes closed out the opening set after hitting .351, compared to a .256 mark for Mason.

Both teams' attacks dipped into the .100s in set two, and Mason grabbed the early lead at 3-1. JMU would tie the score quickly thereafter, and went on to take the lead. Holding a 10-9 advantage, the Dukes embarked on a 9-3 run. Mason answered to make the score 23-20 after an 8-4 run, and after a Mason serving error, Danielle Erb's kill gave the host Dukes a two-set advantage.

Mason's only lead in the final set came at 2-1, after a 7-2 run by JMU shifted the lead to their side. The Patriots were as close as three, trailing 13-10, but the Dukes took eight of the next 10 points. The deficit reached double-digits at 23-13, and the teams traded the final four points as the Dukes completed the sweep.

The Patriots continue their road trip next weekend, with Friday and Sunday matches at Towson and Delaware, respectively.