RICHMOND, Va. - After battling VCU to five sets just one week earlier, the George Mason women's volleyball team could not find an answer for the homestanding Rams on Friday night as they fell in straight sets at the Siegel Center, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17.

Mason dropped to 2-4 in Atlantic 10 Conference play and 6-14 overall, while the Rams improved to 6-1 in conference and 18-5 overall.

A trio of Patriots scored seven kills to pace the offense, as seniors Lana Zonjic and Laura Spencer were joined by sophomore Morghan Martin. Freshman Jessie Greenslade tied the match-high with nine digs, while Spencer's five total blocks was a match high as well. Leading the way for VCU was Romana Kriskova with 18 kills.

The Rams stormed out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set and the Patriots, despite pulling within 9-6, were unable to even the score. A run of seven straight VCU points effectively put the set out of reach, as Mason got no closer than seven for the remainder of the first set.

Another strong start by the Rams opened the second set, and again the Patriots were unable to overcome the early hole. VCU led 7-2 early on and the Patriots got as close as 8-5. An 11-4 run by the Rams made the margin double-digits at 19-9, but the Patriots rallied with a 10-1 run of their own, closing the gap to 20-19 after a Martin kill. The Rams answered, though, scoring five straight points to take a two-set lead into the locker room.

Out of intermission, neither team gave way early. Mason and VCU were knotted up at 5-5, but the Rams put together a 9-3 run to lead 14-8. Mason scored two in a row to close within four, but a 7-1 VCU run pushed the margin back to double digits. After the Patriots staved off defeat twice at match point, Kriskova tallied a kill to end the match.

The Patriots are back in action on Sunday afternoon, kicking off the Revolutionary Rivalry against George Washington with a 1 p.m. first serve in the nation's capital.