Box Score WHO: Women's Volleyball vs. Rhode Island
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
FINAL SCORE: Rhode Island 3, Mason 0
KEY PLAYERS: Catie Espinoza – 14 digs (match-high); Tiffany Clarke – 6 kills, 3 blocks; Bailey Williams – 8 kills (match-high); Katrina Santos – 3 kills, 5 blocks (team-high)
| |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
TOTAL
|
|
Rhode Island (8-7, 3-0 A-10)
|
25
|
25
|
25
|
3
|
|
George Mason (4-12, 0-3 A-10)
|
16
|
20
|
20
|
0
|
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University's women's volleyball team needed eight more points to stay in the match against a tough Rhode Island team on Friday, but the Rams allowed only three and swept Mason to remain perfect in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
MATCH NOTES
-Mason could only match Rhode Island defensively on the night and that was largely due to yet another phenomenal performance by sophomore libero Catie Espinoza, whose 14 digs were tied with Rhody's Callan Kinnan's for match-high. At the net, freshman middle blocker Katrina Santos picked up five blocks, one of them unassisted, followed by senior opposite hitter Tiffany Clarke with three. Freshman outside hitter Bailey Williams, who also had a solo block to her name, was also the best attacker in the contest with eight kills. Clarke was second in that category as well for the Patriots with six kills, but her hitting percentage of .125 was Mason's best on an off night.
-The Patriots' defense did not allow any opponent to finish with double digits and held the Rams' leading hitter Audrey Castro to .000 in the match. Nevertheless, Castro picked up seven kills, which was tied for team-best with Marie Gillcrist, but the latter was much more lethal, hitting .875 on the night. Rhode Island's senior Layne Self was the Rams' universal soldier and picked up five kills, three service aces and seven blocks in the win.
-Rhode Island took a 3-0 lead in the first set and did well to protect its lead later in the set to stay in control. Mason came within one several times while the teams were in single digits, but the Rams responded by pulling away by four at 12-8 to force the Patriots' first timeout. Kills by Williams and junior middle blocker Sydney Fanoga tried to spark some momentum for Mason but again Rhody responded to force a timeout, 17-12. Even then Mason continued to fight as Santos got the Patriots within three with a kill through the middle – 18-15 – but errors by the home team and outstanding defense at the net helped the Rams close out the first set at 25-16. All of Rhody's final three points came off blocks and Self had a hand in all of them.
-The start of the second set featured frequent change of momentum which included a 6-0 Mason run on Espinoza's serve, but the Rams responded and there was nothing that separated both teams as they entered double digits, 10-10. The point-for-point play continued until midset, when kills by Castro and Self, as well as a block by both, sparked a 3-0 Rhode Island run that forced the Patriots into a timeout, 17-14. As play resumed, Clarke registered a kill and assisted Fanoga in blocking Castro to make it 17-16, but the senior was unfazed and corrected her error right away, 18-16. After another Rams run, Gillcrist benefited from a Kinnan set to give Rhode Island a set point at 24-18. A kill and an ace by Fanoga got Mason within four late on, but another successful play by the duo Kinnan-Gillcrist closed another set in favor of Rhody, 25-20.
-Mason had a nightmare start to the third set and trailed by six points early on, 10-4. The Patriots improved, however, and chipped off Rhody's lead little by little until a kill by Williams made it 16 all and forced the Rams only timeout of the match. Shortly after the teams were tied once again at 17 after another Williams kill, but suddenly the momentum switched over to the Rams, who went on a 4-0 run. Two attack errors by Castro put Rhody's advantage in jeopardy, but the Rams managed to win the last three points of the match regardless to close the set at 25-20 and remain perfect in conference play.
STAT BREAKDOWN
-Just like their leading defenders, Rhode Island and Mason split the digs in the match right in the middle, 32-32.
-Mason held Rhody to .188 hitting, which is the third-best by the Patriots in a loss this season, resulting in the Rams having only five more kills at the end of the match, 31-26.
-Rhode Island prevailed 9-8 in a close battle at the net.
NEXT ON THE COURT
After a short turnaround, Mason will be back in action tomorrow night and will welcome Fordham in the RAC for another 7 p.m. conference matchup.
