FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason women's volleyball team dropped a tight battle to the Howard Bison (2-1), 3-2, on the final day of the DC Challenge.
 
For the second-straight day, graduate student Nani Spaar led the Patriots on the offense with 12 digs, while also being a major contributor on defense with 15 digs, a block assist and a perfect reception percentage. 
 
Junior Camille Larkin also had a career day at the net, putting down nine kills on 15 attempts with no errors for a team-best .600 clip. She also contributed three blocks and an ace.
 
In set one, the teams traded points until the Patriots (0-3) rattled off four straight points to take a 6-3 lead, one that they would hold on to for the remainder of the set. The Patriots led by as many as eight (19-11) on three-straight Ewelina Gacek kills and held off the Bison to take the first set 25-20.
 
Mason and Howard played even in set two with 11 tie scores and six lead changes. With the set tied at 17-17, the Patriots forced a Howard error and put down two kills to gain a three-point lead that they would hold on to for the set win, capped by an Autumn Martinez-Robinson ace.
 
Howard flipped the script in the third set, led by nine kills from Rya McKinnon. The Bison jumped out to a 9-3 lead to force a Mason timeout. However, a negative hitting percentage plagued the Patriots and the Bison cut the match score to 2-1.
 
Set four was another back-and-forth battle with the lead changing four times. Spaar and Larkin combined for seven kills as Mason led 21-20 late in the set. The Bison would score the final five points however, led by two kills from Bria Woodard, and force the fifth set.
 
Mason got off to a strong start in set five, scoring five of the opening seven points to force a Howard timeout. The Patriots and Bison traded points until senior Taylor Terry out down her first kill of the afternoon to stretch the lead to 11-7 and force another Bison timeout. Another Terry kill brought Mason to match point (14-12), but great defense at the net by the Bison on two blocks for the final two points gave Howard the comeback win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Graduate student Gracie Halley led Mason with 18 digs
• The setter duo of senior Grace Kristofic and Damiana Bova-Ford tallied 20 and 21 assists, respectively. Kristofic also notched 14 digs for her first double-double of the season
• Freshman Chelsea Colter once again shined at the net on defense, tallying a game-high six blocks (one solo, five assists) to go with four kills
• Junior Ewelina Gacek and sophomore Gabriella Gelfound also contributed nine kills each. Gelfound was also just one off of her career-high of six blocks with one solo anf four assists for five total.

UP NEXT
The Patriots will travel to New Jersey for the Seton Hall Classic beginning on Friday, Sept. 1, with NJIT at 11 a.m.