FAIRFAX, Va. – In its' final home match of the season, the George Mason women's volleyball team dropped a tightly contested match, that featured 23 tie scores and 17 lead changes, to Rhode Island, 3-1.
 
Senior Stephanie Der rewrote the record books on Saturday night, registering 22 digs to move up to fifth all-time at Mason in career digs with 1,114. 
 
Sophomore Olyvia Kennedy led the Mason offense with a match-high 11 kills at a .167 clip to along with three block assists and three digs. Junior Katelyn Clarke was just off a double-double with 13 digs and nine kills, also contributing two block assists, a service ace and an assist.
 
The Rams (6-20, 2-11) jumped out to a 13-7 lead to force a Mason timeout. The two teams traded points and remained separated by three until a kill by Clarke brought the junior to the service line. An ace, block and kill by Mason evened the score at 19 and the Patriots scored the last six points of the set to take a 1-0 lead.
 
It was more back-and-forth in set two, but the Rams forced 10 attack errors on Mason to limit the Patriots to a -.120 and even the score at 1-1.
 
The Patriots (7-18, 3-11) built an 11-8 lead to open set three, but three service aces and a Rhode Island block gave the Rams a 13-11 lead. Mason was able to get within one at 18-19 on a kill by Clarke, but the Rams scored six of the last eight points to take set three.
 
Mason out-hit Rhode Island .324-.297 and tally 16 kills, but several service and receiving errors plagued the Patriots throughout set four. Trailing by five at 22-17, Mason came alive getting five kills between Kennedy and senior Yanira Lopez-Barahona to tie the set at 24. Rhode Island called a timeout and two errors by Mason gave the Rams the win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Both teams tallied 11.0 blocks on the night. Graduate student Peyton Ehmke and sophomore Camille Larkin led the Patriots with five total blocks each.
• Freshman Gabriella Gelfound led Mason with 20 assists, her sixth time this season that she has eclipsed the 20-assist mark. She also notched six kills, six digs, three blocks and two service aces.
• Stephanie Der has tallied 22 kills in three of the last five matches, and is averaging 5.35 digs/set during that span.
• Junior Taylor Terry tallied a match and career-high four service aces.

 
UP NEXT
Mason will finish the regular season on a four-match road swing. The Patriots will travel to Davidson, N.C. to take on the Wildcats on Friday and Sunday next weekend.