- No. 13 Mason swept No. 15 Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday night to improve to 8-1 overall.
- The Patriots defeat the Mastodons for the first time since 2012 and earn the sweep over the 'Dons for the first time since 2009.
- Mason takes on No. 11 Ball State on Sunday (Feb. 10) at 7 p.m. in Muncie, Ind.
FINAL: Mason 3, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 (PDF Box Score)
Hayden Wagner – 20 kills; Justin Coleman – 39 assists; Will Calaman – 12 digs
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – No. 13 George Mason men's volleyball swept No. 15 Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday night. The Patriots tabbed their fifth straight win and third consecutive sweep to improve to 8-1 overall.
The Green & Gold earned its first win over the Mastodons since Jan. 21, 2012, ending a five-match losing streak. In addition, the win marks Mason's first sweep over the 'Dons since Jan. 24, 2009.
"Our boys beat a very good Purdue Fort Wayne team tonight by executing our game plan perfectly," said head coach
Jay Hosack. "Could not be happier for them and the way they worked through problems together."
Offensively, junior
Hayden Wagner dominated the game with a match-high 20 kills on a .586 clip. He also added six blocks, two solo, in the victory. Senior
Justin Coleman dished out 39 assists, two shy from his career high. Defensively, redshirt sophomore
Jack Reese recorded six blocks including three straight block assists to end the second set. Libero
Will Calaman played a vital role in the transition game, notching a season-high 12 digs.
Wagner's first kill of the match evened the first set 8 all. A three-point scoring run pushed Mason's lead out to 11-9. However, the Mastodons inched away at the lead to find the set tied once again. No team led by more than two points in the set up until a score of 19-20, in favor of the 'Dons. That is when the Patriots kicked it into high gear, rattling off six straight points to win the opening set, 25-20.
A strong start to the second set by the Patriots gave them an early 8-5 lead. The Mastodons responded with three straight points to even the game 8 all. A three-point scoring run by the Patriots, including kills by Reese and Wagner, extended Mason's lead, 12-9. Later in the set, back-to-back kills by junior
Bryce Gatling pushed the advantage to five, 17-12. The Patriots' attack continued with another four-point scoring run to lead 21-14. It was all Mason to end the match, blocking the final three Mastodon attacking attempts – winning the set 25-15.
In the third and final set, the Mastodons jumped out to an early 5-2 lead. Mason battled back to take its first lead in the set, 14-13, after an attacking error on Fort Wayne. The Patriots scored the final three points of the set off kills by Coleman (1) and Reese (2), securing the sweep.
NOTABLE STATS
- Patriots continue their strong offensive start to the season, hitting .419 in the match. Mason tabbed its highest hitting percentage of the match in the third set, .533. Purdue Fort Wayne was held to a .170 clip and a set-low clip of -.033 in the second.
- Mason was as dominant on defense as offense. The Patriots outblocked the 'Dons 9.5 to 2 and held the advantage in digs, 38 to 29.
- Wagner's match-high 20 kills put him at 500 career kills. He currently has 149 kills on the season.
UP NEXT
The Patriots face another AVCA Top-15 program in No. 11 Ball State on Sunday night at 7 in Muncie, Ind. The match will be streamed on ESPN3.
