WASHINGTON, D.C - Juniors Lana Zonjic and Laura Spencer each had nine kills as the George Mason women's volleyball team fell to host American, 3-0, on Saturday evening in the final game of the D.C. Volleyball Challenge at Bender Arena. Mason stands at 0-2 on the fledgling season, while the Eagles improved to 1-1. Set scores were 25-20, 25-10, 25-18.

Junior Tori Price added 20 assists while freshman Bernetta Moore had a team high with 12 digs. Spencer added 11, as she fell one kill shy of her second double-double of the day. AU, which out-hit the Patriots by a .269-to-.113 margin, was led by Juliana Crum's 16-dig, 12-kill double-double, one of three Eagles to reach double-digit kills.

After the opening point, the Eagles never trailed again in the first set, and they broke open a 12-9 lead with seven consecutive points to move the margin to double digits. Mason got no closer than four for the duration of the first set, including a Lolade Owokoniran kill on the first set point attempt which made the score 24-20. A service error by the Patriots gave AU the opening set, though, 25-20.

The Eagles opened the second set on a 12-3 run and never looked back. Mason pulled to within seven at 16-9, but AU answered with eight consecutive points which left the score 24-9, and after a Meredith Bush kill, another error on the Patriots serve put the Eagles up two sets to none.

AU registered the first five points of the third set, and once more they would hang onto the advantage for the entire set. Mason got it to within two on two occasions including at 16-14, but a 8-3 run by the Eagles set up match point. After a kill by Zonjic, Crum ended the match with her kill, the final point of the evening.

Following the conclusion of the match, Mason senior Danielle Cook was recognized as part of the All Tournament Team.

Mason is back in action on Tuesday evening in its home opener, welcoming UMBC to the RAC at 7 p.m.