- No. 13 George Mason men's volleyball suffered a four-set loss to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon.
- The Patriots drop to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
- Junior Sam Greenslade led Mason with a season-high 16 kills for a .357 hitting percentage.
FINAL: Mason 1, Saint Francis 3 (PDF Box Score)
Greenslade – 16 kills; Coleman – 23 assists; Barnes – 8 digs
FAIRFAX, Va. – No. 13 George Mason men's volleyball suffered a four-set loss to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots drop to 10-4 overall and 4-2 in EIVA play.
"Hats off to Saint Francis," said head coach
Jay Hosack. "They played a fantastic match today and we did not respond the way we should have. They served and passed very well and we did not do either one of those very well. When you face that combination, it is going to be a rough night."
Junior
Sam Greenslade led Mason with a season-high 16 kills for a .357 hitting percentage. He also added five digs and four blocks in the loss. Junior
Hayden Wagner notched his 13th straight match with double figure kills, contributing 10 against the Red Flash. Defensively, Mason saw success from its block, registering 11.5 blocks with Greenslade,
Langston Payne and
Jack Reese each tabbing four block assists. However, the Red Flash used a strong day at the net to hold the advantage in blocks with 16 total blocks.
Bursts of short runs in the opening set of play allowed Saint Francis to control the tempo and claim the first set, 25-17. A three-point scoring run gave the Red Flash an 8-6 lead. After that point, the Patriots trailed for the remainder of the set. Mason hit .000 in the set with nine kills and nine attacking errors. The Red Flash's seven blocks and three service aces proved to be the deciding factor in the first.
In the second set of play, one of Greenslade's seven second-set kills helped Mason take a 16-13 lead. Later, the Patriots rattled off six-straight points for a comfortable 23-15 advantage. Senior
Kyle Barnes added a service ace at the end of the run, forcing a Saint Francis timeout. Senior
Justin Coleman checked into the match and contributed 11 assists in the set, leading Mason to its best hitting percentage of the game, .222. Mason tied up the match with a 25-17 second-set victory.
To start the third set of play, a block by Reese and Wagner gave Mason the 10-9 lead. The Red Flash bounced back with six straight points to open their lead, 15-10. The Patriots did not back down, receiving clutch kills from Greenslade and Wagner. However, ultimately, a late 3-0 scoring run by the Red Flash allowed them to take a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-20 third set win.
After a slow start to the fourth set, Mason battled back, down one for a score of 11-10. The Red Flash responded to the pressure with a 7-1 scoring run. The hole proved to be too deep for the Patriots. The Red Flash cruised to the set win, 25-16. The edge in the final set proved to be offense as SFU hit .423 compared to Mason's .087.
NOTABLE STATS
- The Red Flash outblocked the Patriots 16 to 11.5.
- Although Mason had less service errors, seven service aces by the Red Flash made the difference behind the service line.
- Mason recorded a season-low hitting percentage of .118.
UP NEXT
Mason continues its four-game homestand with a pair of matches against Sacred Heart on March 1 and 2, with first serve scheduled at 7 p.m.
