- Catie Espinoza records career dig number 1,000, but Patriots fall to GW 3-1.
- Bailey Williams posts 21 kills - first time a Patriot has recorded three 20+ kill matches in a season since 2012.
- Maddie French tallies career high 12 kills in her first double-double of the season.
FINAL:
George Washington 3, George Mason 1 (
PDF Box Score)
Bailey Williams – 21 kills (Match High);
Emily Konchan – 32 assists (Match High);
Catie Espinoza – 22 digs (Match High)
WASHINGTON – Round two of the women's volleyball Revolutionary Rivalry matchup took place Friday night with George Mason looking to avenge its early season loss to the Colonials. Despite numerous noteworthy individual performances, the Patriots fell in four sets.
Catie Espinoza recorded her 1,000 career dig, becoming the sixth player in program history to do so and the first player to do it in her junior year. The Virginia Beach, Va. native became the fastest player in program history to reach the milestone, only needing 292 sets to do so. Espinoza led all participating players with 22 digs on the night, putting her total at 1013.
Bailey Williams's 21 kills marked her third match of the season of posting at least 20 kills. She becomes the first Patriot since Lana Zonjic in 2012 to do that. Williams' season kills per set average is now up to 3.17.
Maddie French recorded her first double-double of the season and the third of her career. Her 12 kill, 13 dig performance was her first double-double since Sept. 12, 2015 against Central Connecticut State, as well as marking a single-match career high in kills.
The Patriots offense got started with kills from
Jordan Glass and
Pihla Jarvenpaa making the score 2-2 early in the first set. The two teams traded points up until the score favored GW at 6-5, marking the point where a 6-1 Colonial run put the score at 12-6 and forced a Mason timeout. That six-point cushion was enough for the Colonials to lead for the rest of the set, which they won 25-19.
A
Jordan Glass kill went down as the first point picked up by the Patriots a second set that also saw the two teams trading points early on. One of Williams' five second set kills tied things at 8, but George Washington took control after that, winning the set 25-18.
Following the intermission, Mason jumped out to a 4-2 lead with one of Williams' nine third set kills. Williams hit .421 in the third frame including a stretch of three straight kills that gave the Patriots a 13-9 lead. The Patriots never trailed in the set and closed things out with kills from French and Williams within the final three plays, giving the Patriots a 25-23 victory.
After being able to force a fourth set, the Colonials were the ones who got off to the fast start jumping out to a 7-3 lead and led by a healthy margin for most of the set. The Patriots were able to keep it close thanks to a 7-1 run late, but George Washington ultimately held on and won the set 25-21.
The Patriots return home next weekend where they'll take on Saint Louis Friday night for the annual Senior Night ceremony. For tickets call (703) 993-3270 or click
here for more information.
NOTABLE STATS
- Licie Leite recorded her first career block Friday night. She also posted a career high in kills (4) and tied her career high for digs (15).
- Bailey Williams' double-digit kill performance is her third straight match of 10+ kills.
- With her 32 assists, Emily Konchan has now compiled at least 30 in three straight matches. Friday marked her 12th match of the year with at least 30 assists.
