FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's volleyball team went undefeated on day two of their home tournament on Saturday, downing Maryland-Eastern Shore and Morgan State at the Recreation Athletic Complex.
 
Offensively, senior Mujay Mambu led the Patriots with 23 total kills, averaging 3.29 kills/set, a .360 hitting percentage and committing just five errors.
 
Defensively, fellow senior Stephanie Der averaged 3.71 digs/set while contributing 11 assists, two service aces and a perfect reception percentage.
 
In Game 1 of the day, Mason (4-7) battled a tough Maryland-Eastern Shore team in a four-set win. After surging out to a 1-0 lead with a 25-14 win, UMES (2-8) took set two, 25-19.
 
Despite set three featuring five tie scores, Mason never trailed. The Hawks pulled within two at 16-14, but after the Patriots reset with a timeout, six kills by four different Mason attackers allowed for a 25-17 victory.
 
With set four tied at five, Mason went on a 6-1 run to stretch their lead to six and run away to another 25-17 win and the match victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: MARYLAND-EASTERN SHORE

• Mambu (11) and classmate Yanira Lopez-Barahona (10) led the Patriots with double-digit kills.
• The Patriots and the Hawks both totaled 8.0 blocks throughout the match. Freshman Gabriella Gelfound led all players with six total blocks (one solo, five assists).
• Sophomore Damiana Bova-Ford led Mason with 20 assists.

 
In Game 2 versus Morgan State, the three-set match was a back-and-forth battle. Throughout the match, there were 22 tie scores and nine lead changes.
 
With set one tied at 17, three straight kills by Mason and an error by MSU forced a Bears' timeout. Bova-Ford capped off the set with one of her match-high two service aces for a 25-18 win.
 
Graduate student Peyton Ehmke and sophomores Camille Larkin and Olyvia Kennedy all tallied three kills to lead the Patriots offense in set two and push the team to a tight 25-21 win.
 
Morgan State jumped out to a 13-10 lead in the third set, however George Mason would not give up. The team finally pulled ahead at 21-19 on back-to-back kills by Mambu and a kill by Gelfound would cap the three-set sweep.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: MORGAN STATE

• The Patriots hit at a season-high .361 while shattering their season-low with just 10 total hitting errors.
• Ehmke totaled nine kills at an incredible .562 clip while committing no errors.
• Gelfound led all players with 25 assists, adding five kills and five digs.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• New Hampshire, #8 Hannah Serbousek (OH)- MVP
• New Hampshire, #3 Lindsey Kriendler (OH)
• George Mason, #17 Peyton Ehmke (MB)
• George Mason, #20 Camille Larkin (MB)
• Morgan State, #7 Justyus Jackson (MB)
• Maryland-Eastern Shore, #1 Valeria Matias (L)

Larkin tallied 21 kills at an incredible .415 attack percentage over the three matchest his weekend. She also notched 10 total blocks, matching her career high with five against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon, while adding two service aces. Fellow middle blocker Ehmke was equally as impressive at the net, putting down 22 kills across the tournament at a .405 attack percentage, highlighted by a season-high nine kills and no errors against Morgan State. She also contributed six total blocks and two assists.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will remain in Fairfax next weekend to begin A-10 play at home on Friday, welcoming the Rams of VCU at 5 p.m.