STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Patriots suffered a 3-1 loss to the #3 Penn State Nittany Lions in the semi-finals of the EIVA Tournament Thursday night (25-19, 17-25, 22-25, 15-25).
The Patriots fought hard and showed grit throughout the game. In the first set they trailed 9-4 and then 11-7. Mason went on a 7-0 run (14-11) and kept the pressure up. They eventually pushed the lead to five and then six by the end (25-19).
Liam French led with five kills and one block assist.
The Lions started the second with a 6-1 lead, but the Patriots fought back to bring it within one at 7-6. Unfortunately, the Lions kept their foot on the gas and expanded their lead at 15-10 and 20-13. It ended 17-25.
The third came down to the wire. Although the Patriots trailed early on (10-13), they used a 5-0 to take the lead at 15-13. After that, it bounced back and forth with the score tied at 21. The Lions took four of the next five to win it (22-25).
Omar Hoyos tallied three kills, nine receptions, three digs and a block assist.
In the beginning of the fourth, both the Patriots and Lions had runs of three or more. The Patriots were within three at 14-17 when the Lions rattled off eight out of the next nine points to win the match 25-15.
By the Numbers
- French and Hoyos led with 17 and 14 kills
- Hoyos, Colin Heath and Georgi Zahariev all tallied 7 digs
- Seven players recorded a dig and 5 assists
