FAIRFAX, Va. – The fifteenth ranked George Mason men's volleyball team (8-6, 3-2 EIVA) fell to No. 11 Princeton in four sets (21-25, 26-28, 25-23, 23-25) on Saturday night inside the Recreation Athletic Center (RAC).
"Hats off to Princeton, great match by them," head coach Jay Hosack said. "When you play good teams they force you play the entire game not just a few small, specific points and I thought that they did a good job of making us have to play the game at a higher level for longer periods of time."
Senior Sam Greenslade and sophomore Richie Hoff led the Patriots for a second-straight night, each earning 13 kills apiece. The offensive duo both recorded two service aces as well. Redshirt junior Bradley Creamer added 12 kills of his own as the trio tallied 76 percent of the team's successful attack attempts on the night.
In the first set, the Patriots found themselves in an early 11-5 hole. Princeton's offense kept the pressure on the Patriots until Mason went on a three-point spurt finding themselves down only one, 20-19. The momentum ended when the Tigers added a three-point run of their own, winning the opening set 25-21.
The following game was a tough one for the Green & Gold. After earning a 17-12 advantage, Princeton outscored the Patriots 16-9 in the back half of the second set to take a two-set advantage.
Mason's effort never faltered, as they dominated the third set, going up 17-7 early. The Tigers fought back but the Patriots' offense led by Greenslade and Hoff, who each had four kills in the third game, shut the door on the Tigers. The 25-23 third set victory brought the Patriots right back in the game.
In the fourth, and ultimately final set, the Tigers' offense got off to a hot start as Parker Dixon and Nico Posivak both earned seven kills in the final frame. The Patriots battled but it was not enough as the Tigers notched their league leading fifth EIVA victory of the season.
"We will go back to the drawing board this week and learn a lot and get better for our next matches in Pennsylvania," Hosack said.
UP NEXT
The Patriots hit the road to face No. 9 Penn State on Friday, Feb. 28, in University Park, Pa. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Following the Nittany Lions, Mason will travel to Loretto, Pa. to play Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday, Feb. 29, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m. ET as well.
