• George Mason swept Harvard to improve to 9-4 in EIVA play.
• Hayden Wagner set a new career-best hitting percentage (.625) with 15 kills on 24 errorless swings.
• The Patriots will play their final regular season match at 4 p.m. Saturday against Harvard.

 
FINAL: Mason 3, Harvard 0 (PDF Box Score)
Wagner – 15 kills; Velez – 24 assists; Calaman, Gatling and Greenslade – 5 digs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The George Mason men's volleyball team took care of business in its second to last regular season match, sweeping Harvard on Friday night. The Patriots improve to 16-8 overall and 9-4 in EIVA play with one regular season match remaining.

Mason will face Harvard on Saturday with first serve set for 4 p.m. at the Malkin Athletic Center. The match will be streamed on ESPN+. 

"Our boys knew that this match was for seeding but more so just pride," said head coach Jay Hosack. "We came out with great energy and hustled and executed our game plan perfectly."

Three early kills allowed Mason to take a 6-2 advantage in the first set. Another two kills by Hayden Wagner and Langston Payne pushed the lead to five, 9-4. Mason looked to be in steady control after a 4-1 scoring run gave the Patriots their largest lead of the set, 15-8. However, the Crimson battled back with five straight points, cutting the lead to two, 15-13. The Patriots weathered the Crimson's comeback to take a late 20-17 lead. Bryce Gatling and Kyle Barnes combined for a block while Payne put down the final kill for the set win, 25-20.

The Patriots used its first set momentum to power them to an overwhelming second set win, 25-15. After two 4-0 scoring runs to start the set, Harvard called a timeout as Mason led 9-3. Out of the timeout, the Patriots scored another four straight points thanks to back-to-back Crimson attacking errors and back-to-back services aces for Wagner. The Crimson attempted a comeback, but ultimately the Patriots' attack was too much to handle. Mason finished the set with three straight kills from Gatling, Wagner and Aaron Cymbor.

Like the first and second sets, Mason jumped out to another impressive start in the third stanza, claiming an early 6-2 lead. During the start, redshirt freshman Mike Kapusta tallied a kill while Sam Greenslade notched service ace. Back-to-back kills from Luis Velez and Greenslade pushed Mason to a 10-6 advantage. As Harvard battled back, Wagner continued to step up. The opposite hitter tabbed six of his 15 kills in the third set of play, and they all came at critical parts of the set. In addition, Kapusta helped Mason's attack with four kills on five attempts. As the teams exchanged points to end the set, Wagner ended the match, 25-23, with his 15th kill on an error-free night. 
 
NOTABLE STATS

• Wagner hit at a career-best .625 clip. The opposite hitter put together the first errorless performance of his career with 15 kills on 24 swings (min. five attempts).
• Payne has recorded three straight matches with no attacking errors. The middle blocker put down six kills on nine swings for a .667 clip.
• The Patriots outhit the Crimson .420 to .260. Mason tabbed its best clip of the match in the third set – .571.
• Mason earned its 11th sweep of the season to tie for the fifth most in program history.