Box Score

• Bailey Williams ties her single-match career high with 17 kills, the most individual kills by a Patriot in a four-set match since Tiffany Clarke (17) on Sept. 9, 2016.
• Mikala Wells compiles 10 kills , her fourth straight match with double-digit kills.
• Sydney Fanoga registered five kills Saturday afternoon, amassing 500 for her career.

 
FINAL: Duquesne 3, Mason 1 (Box Score)
Bailey Williams – 17 kills; Emily Konchan – 41 assists; Catie Espinoza – 18 digs (T-Match High).
 
PITTSBURGH – The George Mason women's volleyball team began conference play with a four-set loss to the Duquesne Dukes. Despite the loss, Sophomore outside hitter Bailey Williams recorded her fifth double-double of the season compiling 17 kills and 11 digs. Williams also had a blocking assist and a service ace, all of which added up to 18.5 points for her on the afternoon – the second highest total she's posted in a match this season.
 
Despite Williams' strong effort, the Dukes outplayed the Patriots Saturday afternoon.
 
"Today Duquesne was a better team than us. They capitalized on some good scoring runs and we couldn't stop them," head coach Aylene Ilkson said. "With a match tomorrow we are just trying to look ahead and make the needed adjustments on our side to take on La Salle."
 
Mason dropped the first set 25-15 but had spurts of outstanding play in the second set. The Patriots had an 8-1 run at one point and was led by Williams' seven kills and one service ace in that set alone. Senior middle blocker Sydney Fanoga picked up kill number three on the afternoon giving her 500 for her career. Fanoga finished with five total in the match. Despite what Williams and Fanoga were able to accomplish, the Patriots ultimately fell 25-21.
 
In the third set the Patriots and Dukes were locked in a back-and-forth set that featured nine ties and three lead changes. Additionally, Mason overcame a 7-3 deficit early on to make the set competitive throughout, and was facing a loss when the Dukes had a 25-24 lead. The hard work paid off as the Patriots took the final three points giving them set three by a score of 27-25.
 
Set four was the antithesis of its predecessor, featuring numerous runs and only one lead change. The most notable Patriot string of points was a 5-0 run in the middle of the set capped off by freshman setter Emily Konchan's second service ace of the day. However Mason lost the set 25-19.
 
The Patriots are right back at it Sunday as they travel across the state of Pennsylvania to face La Salle at 4 p.m.
 
NOTABLE STATS
 

• Junior outside hitter Maddie French notched two service aces, tying her single-match career high that she set twice in 2015.
• Bailey Williams has recorded a service ace in five straight matches, the longest streak of her career and the longest individual streak since Morghan Martin did so in six straight matches in 2015.
• Saturday's match marks the fifth straight match two Mason players have recorded 10+ kills (Williams -17, Wells -10).