FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason women's volleyball team staved off defeat in the fourth set, and completed the comeback in a five-set victory over UMBC on Tuesday evening at the RAC. Set scores were 25-22, 17-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-11 as the Patriots (1-2) picked up their first win of the season.

Mason was led by a pair of double-double performers in juniors Tori Price and Laura Spencer. Price contributed a match high 52 assists to go with 12 digs, while Spencer chipped in 13 digs and 12 kills. Redshirt freshman Lolade Owokoniran led the Patriot offense with 13 kills and also had a match-best nine total blocks (two solo). Freshman Bernetta Moore recorded 21 digs, a team high.

Four Retrievers (2-3) reached double figures in kills, led by 14 from Hannah Schmidt who also completed a double-double with 13 digs.

UMBC never trailed early in the first set, though the margin was no greater than five including an 8-3 start. Mason came back to tie the score at 20-all as part of a 8-3 run which closed out the set and put the Patriots ahead in the match. Spencer and freshman Morghan Martin each had six kills in the opening set while Price dished 16 assists, with Mason holding a .293-to-.098 advantage in the attack.

The Patriots fell behind early in the second set and saw their hitting percentage drop into negative territory as UMBC knotted the match at one set each. In the third set, Mason saw its attack improve but it could not gain the lead after a 9-3 run started the set for the Retrievers.

Mason countered the first four points of the fourth set going to the visitors by embarking on a 9-0 run, and from there, the Patriots would not relinquish the advantage. UMBC tied the score at 12 and again at 16-16, but could not break through and on the first opportunity to send the match to a fifth set, senior Danielle Cook and freshman Meredith Bush collaborated for a block in the set-winning point.

After UMBC jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the final frame, Mason matched that run and took the lead at 9-8. A Schmidt kill tied it at nine, but three in a row went to the Patriots, and the Retrievers tallied just two more points while Bush finished off the win with a kill on a feed from Price.

Mason is back in action this weekend hosting the Patriot Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. The two-day, nine-match tournament features the hosts as well as Navy, Niagara, South Carolina and West Virginia.