MASON (4-18, 0-9 A-10) vs Duquesne (16-8, 6-3 A-10)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason leads series 5-4
LIVE STATS: GoMason.com
LIVE VIDEO: A-10 Network ($)
MASON (4-18, 0-9 A-10) vs La Salle (10-15, 1-8 A-10) (Senior Night)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason leads 5-1
LIVE STATS: GoMason.com
LIVE VIDEO: A-10 Network ($)
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University's women's volleyball team will play its final two home matches of 2016 this weekend, welcoming a strong Duquesne on Friday night before sending off its three seniors with a match against La Salle on Saturday.
Playing the same two opponents on senior weekend as it did a year ago, Mason will attempt to end its five-match homestand on a high note after dropping four consecutive matches in the RAC since Sept. 30. The negative run was extended last Saturday when the Patriots could not capitalize on a promising against in-state rival VCU despite being neck in neck with the Rams statistically. Last year Jackie Simpson-Kirr played a total of 10 sets at home to La Salle and Duquesne as it split five-setters with the Pennsylvania pair. Saturday's match against the Explorers will be final on home court for outside hitter Jessie Greenslade, opposite hitter Tiffany Clarke and setter Caitlyn Hipsher, who will be recognized for their contribution with a Senior Night ceremony prior to first serve.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NET
Duquesne, the team that spoiled Mason's Senior Night last year, has been streaky for most of this season. The Dukes come into the weekend off back-to-back defeats at Saint Louis and Dayton, but they took a set from each team and that tells nearly as much as the talent of head coach Steve Opperman's team as the seven-straight wins that it recorded prior to its latest trip. In addition to being perfect in its own A.J. Palumbo Center this season, Duquesne has a positive away record even after the defeats to Saint Louis and Dayton, 5-4. With five matches still ahead for all Atlantic 10 Conference teams, the Dukes sit comfortably in fourth position with a 6-3 record, three wins above seventh place, which does not earn a bid for the conference tournament in the second half of November. Three Dukes have surpassed the 200-mark in kills, two of whom – junior Molly Davet (255 kills) and senior Madelynn Burnham (215) – have played in each of Duquesne's 89 sets. It is the third one, however, sophomore Maddie Bazelak, who is the team's most productive attacker with 2.96 kills per set. Freshman Dani Suiter is the primary orchestrator of Duquesne's attack and has firmly established herself as the starting setter. She picks up an average of 10.01 assists per set, which puts her among the top three players at her position in the A-10. Duquesne is the best ground-defending team in the conference with 15.97 digs per set. Mason also finds a stop in the top half in this component, ranking fifth with 14.12 digs per set largely due to sophomore libero Catie Espinoza's phenomenal season. Duquesne is led by Davet's 3.73 digs per set with Bazelak also averaging over three digs per set. Sophomore Kori Johnson's hands are the ones Patriots will look to avoid at the net since she has 66 blocks in as many sets, including 16 solo blocks.
La Salle managed to win its first six matches of the season – four of them at its own Tom Gola Arena – and went into conference play with a positive 9-6 record. Just like they did last year, the Explorers have been struggling in A-10 competition, winning only one of its nine matches. They followed up on the 3-2 victory over Fordham with a non-conference road success at Delaware State, but were unable to take even a set during the Dayton-Saint Louis trip last weekend. Mason winning five of the six previous meetings with La Salle and the Explorers' 3-7 away record this season are both indicators for a more positive Senior Night for Mason than a year ago, but freshman Corah Devin (3.13 kills per set), sophomore Jensen Sharrits (5.14 digs per set) and Catherine Edgington (56 blocks) are just several players who can give the Patriots trouble on Saturday night.
