FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's volleyball team fell to the New Hampshire Wildcats (7-5) on Friday night inside a packed house at the Recreation Athletic Complex.
It was a back-and-forth affair as the teams traded sets and points throughout the night. After New Hampshire won the first set 25-22, Mason (2-7) won the next two 25-22, 25-14 to take a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats rallied to force a fifth set after winning set four 25-15 and took the match with a 15-11 win.
Senior
Yanira Lopez-Barahona led the Patriots at the net, matching her season-high of 12 kills at a .269 clip. The senior once again posted a perfect 1.000 serving and reception percentage to go along with a block and four digs to tally a team-high 12.5 points.
The second set was a battle between both teams, featuring 12 tie scores and five lead changes. Trailing 21-22, Mason scored the last four points on two kills, a UNH error and an ace by junior
Katelyn Clarke to take the set.
The Patriots dominated the third set, taking down the Wildcats 25-14 and never trailed. Lopez-Barahona notched four of her kills while the team limited UNH to a -.100 hitting percentage.
New Hampshire rallied in the fourth to force a fifth set. After pulling out to a 9-3 lead, the Patriots we able to score four straight points on kills by sophomores
Camille Larkin and
Olyvia Kennedy. However, with the set at 12-10, UNH scored three of the next four points to secure the victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Freshman Gabriella Gelfound paced the Mason offense with 19 assists to go along with six kills and eight digs.
- Graduate student Peyton Ehmke hit at a .308 with seven kills, also adding two blocks.
- Clarke tallied a career-high four service aces to go along with her six kills and seven digs.
- The team tallied a season-high nine service aces.
UP NEXT
The Patriots will look to flip the script when they return to the court in game two of the George Mason Invitational when the team takes on University of Maryland-Eastern Shore at 1:30 p.m. Live stream will be available on ESPN+.
