WHO: Women's Volleyball vs. American @ D.C. Volleyball Challenge
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE: American 3, Mason 2
KEY PLAYERS: Mikala Wells – 20 kills (career-high, match-high), 10 digs, 6 aces (career-high, match-high); Catie Espinoza – 25 digs (career-high); Sydney Fanoga – 12 kills, .526 hitting; Kelly Schaller – 49 assists (career-high, match-high)

WHO: Women's Volleyball vs. Georgetown @ D.C. Volleyball Challenge
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE: Georgetown 3, Mason 1
KEY PLAYERS: Tiffany Clarke – 11 kills; Kelly Fagan – 8 kills, .375 hitting; Mikala Wells – 8 digs; Kelly Schaller – 44 assists

FAIRFAX, Va. – The long and exhausting second day of the D.C. Volleyball Challenge brought drama and some disappointment to George Mason University's women's volleyball team, which took American to five sets in front of its home fans but could not pull off the upset of the tournament.

KEY NOTES OF THE DAY

-Freshman outside hitter Mikala Wells continued impressing in her first collegiate weekend by posting match-high 20 kills, six service aces, and 10 digs against the Eagles in Mason's first contest of the day. While her defensive prowess was a little overshadowed by sophomore libero Catie Espinoza's career-high 25-dig performance against American, Wells demonstrated consistency and added 8 digs in the night cap against Georgetown, which tied for the match-high with the Hoyas' Paige McKnight and Kenzie Higareda.

-Junior setter Kelly Schaller was pulling the ropes in guiding the Patriots' attack and recorded 93 of Mason's 101 assists of the day, which included a career-high performance with 49 assists against American.

-Mason shook off Friday's loss to a strong Howard team and pressed American from first serve, winning the first three points. The Patriots later led by as many as seven at 12-5 on one of Wells' first-set kills before staying composed for the remainder of the set and maintained a safe lead against the Eagles to win the opening set 25-21.

-Despite American enjoying a better start to the second set and led by four as it entered double digits at 10-6, Mason went on an impressive 7-2 run to grab its first lead at 13-12 on a Fanoga kill. The Patriots took control of the set after that moment and later had a triple set point at 24-21, but the Eagles quickly turned that around with four consecutive points. Two tied scores later, a kill by Vela McBride finally gave American the required two-point lead at 28-26 and tied the match at a set apiece.

-Tables turned toward the end of the third set and it was American who seemed in comfortable position to take a 2-1 set, but the Patriots had another idea. Trailing 22-18, two kills by senior opposite hitter Tiffany Clarke and as many service aces by Wells instigated a 5-0 Mason run that put head coach Jackie Simpson-Kirr's team ahead 23-22. American found its rhythm and won the first three set points, two of them canceled out by errors and the third with a kill by Wells. Fanoga gave Mason its first and only set point at 28-27 with a kill, but Shannon Webb responded immediately with a successful attacking play herself. It was namely Webb who capitalized on American's fourth set point shortly after and gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead in the match by closing the set at 30-28.

-Mason still seemed a little affected by the dramatic ending of the prior set during the beginning of the fourth and quickly fell behind at 6-1. Strong serving sequences by Wells and Fanoga, however, changed that imminently and a kill by freshman outside hitter Bailey Williams gave the Patriots their first lead at 9-8. Kills by Aleksandra Kazala brought the Eagles back to level terms twice afterwards, but under the lead of Clarke, Mason's attack – assisted by a few errors by their counterparts – managed to send the match into a fifth set by comfortably closing out the fourth set at 25-20.

-In the decisive set, Mason led 11-6 before American's Kristen Largay started putting the Patriots under pressure from the service line and helped the Eagles to nine-straight points that brought the 2015 Patriot League champions their second five-set victory in fewer than 24 hours,15-11.

-Leaving all they had in the match against American, the Patriots were not as efficient in attack nor in defense against Georgetown and only Clarke finished in double digits with 11 kills.

-Although they suffered another close defeat in the first set against the Hoyas – 25-23, the Patriots demonstrated character and stuck with their opponents all throughout the second set, when nerves played an important role. At the end, Mason committed many errors fewer than its opponents in the closing stage of the set and tied the match with an identical scoreline in the second set.

-After winning only one of the opening 12 points in the third set, by the time a kill by freshman middle blocker Kelly Fagan put Mason in double digits, Georgetown's lead was 14 and the Hoyas were seeking a set-winning point. That is when junior defensive specialist Ashley Mennes came to serve and the Patriots went on to score six additional points and to show that they would not go down without a fight, which earned them applause from their fans even after Charlotte Kelly's kill won the set for Georgetown at 25-16.

-Mason and Georgetown each had 10 kills in the fourth set, but the Hoyas registered four unanswered aces and demonstrated more freshness in attack, which allowed them to commit fewer errors and win the match 3-1.

 STAT BREAKDOWN

-Mason (.226) had its best offensive display in the young seasons against American and outhit the Eagles (.152), in addition to recording four more kills, 63-59. The Patriots' aggressive attack forced American's defense to make six more digs, 66-60, but the Patriots's defense at the net was stronger and Simpson-Kirr's team outblocked its opponent 10-8.

-The freshman duo Fagan-Wells combined for three solo blocks against Georgetown with two and one, respectively, but the Hoyas capitalized on Mason's fatigue and outblocked the Patriots 10-4.

NEXT ON THE COURT

-Next up for Mason are three matches at the Hampton Inn Invitational hosted by Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn. Over the course of next weekend, the Patriots will play the host, Dartmouth and Milwaukee.