FAIRFAX, Va. – After enjoying a perfect start against Barton on Friday night, George Mason University's men's volleyball team made its life difficult but nevertheless managed to pull off an important 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs.

Mason (9-11, 2-5 EIVA) was ruthless in its first set at the RAC since March 4, winning it 25-12, and won the second comfortably 25-21 despite a late Barton (14-5, 12-2 Conference Carolinas) run to grab a two-set lead in about 45 minutes of play.

The Patriots were five points away from completing a sweep when Barton called a timeout while trailing 20-18 in the third set, but the Bulldogs went on an impressive 7-1 run to set the scene for a long night.

"We just need to put our foot down when teams are 2-0 down against us," said Mason head coach Jay Hosack after his team wasted a two-set lead for the fourth time this season.

The Bulldogs showed that the third-set win was more than just complacency on Mason's part and controlled the fourth set from start to end to win another stanza with a 25-21 scoreline and force a decisive fifth set.

Sophomore outside hitter Kyle Barnes (13 kills, .346 hitting, 1 service ace), who was Mason's leading scorer on the night, grabbed a kill for 1-0 in the final set to put Mason in the lead for the first time since the third set. The home team then showed the aggression from early in the match and deservedly changed sides with a four-point lead on an emphatic kill by redshirt senior opposite hitter Jack Wilson (12 kills, 4 aces), the other Patriot who finished the match in double digits. Barton demonstrated admirable resistance once again and came back from three points behind to tie it up at 13 all, but this time the Patriots did not give up the initiative and closed the match at 17-15, even though it took them three match points to do so.

NEXT ON THE COURT

After the successful finish to the non-conference portion of its schedule, Mason will look for another success at 4 p.m. on Saturday, when the Patriots begin the second half of the EIVA regular season with a matchup against Charleston (W.Va.).