FAIRFAX, Virginia – George Mason men's volleyball picks up a crucial win on senior night against EIVA opponent Princeton.  The win for the Patriots most likely puts them in the conference tournament.  The Patriots won with set scores of 25-23, 25-20, 18-25, and 25-21.  The Green and Gold have a chance to grab the three seed in the tournament if they beat Princeton again next Friday.

The Patriots got out to a slow start in the first set, going down 6-3 early on.  The Patriots trailed the Tigers for most of the first set; however, Mason was able to mount a huge comeback.  Mason eventually was able to even tie the set at 21.  Joe Heim and Paco Velez had consecutive kills to give Mason the set point.  Hunter Stevens then got a clutch kill to win the set for the Patriots.

The Tigers came out firing in the second set, going up 10-7 early.  However, the Patriots mounted another stunning comeback to eventually take a big lead at 22-17.  The Green and Gold finished Princeton off in the second set after one of Paco Velez 23 kills in the match.

The third set was a very close one that included 10 tie scores and four lead changes.  Mason was able to grab a one-point lead after a Radoslav Popov kill to make it 8-7.  However, Princeton was able to mount a comeback and take the lead at 11-10 after a Patriot service error.  The Tigers didn't look back from there, going on to win the set 25-18 on a Junior Oboh kill.

The fourth and final set was another closely contested game.  The Patriots were able to grab the first three points after kills from Popov, and Christian Malias along with a Velez service ace. This was a set that kept going back and forth.  On his senior night, Jonathan Lutz came into the game and gave the Patriots the lift it needed.  Consecutive kills from Lutz and acrobatic digs from fellow senior, Dave Lucas had the crowd on its feet.  Another kill from Velez plus a Princeton service error gave the Patriots the vital victory.

Paco Velez led the Patriots on offense with a career-high 23 kills on the night.  Radoslav Popov had a double-double, finishing with 12 kills and 12 digs.  Senior, Joe Heim dished out a team-high 46 assists. Meanwhile, Dave Lucas added a match-best 14 digs to lead the Patriot defense.

The Tigers were led by Devin Stearns and Pat Schwagler, who both finished with 17 kills each.  Chris Kennedy also dished out a match-best 55 assists.  Meanwhile, Tony Ensbury finished with a team-best 14 digs on defense

Up Next: The Patriots wrap up its regular season with a trip to Princeton on Friday, April 18.  A win against the Tigers would move the Patriots to the number three seed in the EIVA tournament.