SOUTH ORANGE, N.J – The George Mason women's volleyball team went 1-1 on the opening day of the Seton Hall Classic, taking down NJIT (3-4) and falling to the host Pirates (4-1).
 
GAME ONE: NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
The Patriots (1-4) opened the Seton Hall Classic with their first win of 2023 over the Highlanders, 3-1, using a strong and balanced offense that saw four players tally double-digit kills. Graduate student Nani Spaar led the team and the game with 16 kills and sophomore Gabriella Gelfound added a career-high-matching 15 at a game-best .367 clip.
 
Mason jumped out to an early 10-4 lead with five kills and two blocks. Gelfound and junior Olyvia Kennedy combined for nine kills across the set and the Patriots didn't commit a reception error in a clean set. NJIT cut the lead to four at 20-16, but Mason rattled off the final five points capped by a service ace from Spaar.
 
The Green & Gold once again opened up the set on a run, jumping out to a 5-0 lead that it would not surrender. Mason limited NJIT to a .000 hitting percentage in the second set, including errors on their first four attempts and nine overall. On the other hand, the Patriots put down a game-high 16 kills with at least one from six different players, including freshman Caroline Rodriguez, who checked in and tallied three on six attempts with no errors. Mason would stretch the lead to as many as 12 and held on for the 25-20 win.
 
NJIT was able to limit its' errors in set three, committing just three attack errors. Mason led 15-11 at the halfway point, but the Highlanders were able to fight back and commit no hitting errors down the stretch, including four-straight to take the 23-21 lead. Mason was able to muster two more points but NJIT took the third set 25-23.
 
The Highlanders used momentum from the third to start the fourth, and led 11-8 when Rodriguez stepped up to the service line. Two NJIT errors and a service ace tied the set at 11 apiece, and Mason finally took the lead for good on three-straight kills from Spaar, 16-13. NJIT was within two at the end of the set, but three straight Mason kills gave it the 3-1 win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

• Along with Spaar and Gelfound, Olyvia Kennedy (11 kills, season-high) and Caroline Rodriguez (10 kills, career-high) contributed double-figure kills
• Spaar also notched 11 digs for her third double-double of the season
• Gracie Halley led the match with 28 digs, good for a season-high
• Chelsea Colter continued the strong start to her rookie season with a game-high three blocks to go along with four kills
• Damiana Bova-Ford dished out a game-high 24 assists

 
GAME TWO: SETON HALL
Nani Spaar once again led all players on offense with 16 kills, but Seton Hall was able to limit their own errors en route to a 3-1 victory to close out day two of the Seton Hall Classic. Gabriella Gelfound followed up her game one success with a double-double on 19 assists and 11 digs.
 
Set one began as a back-and-forth battle, with four ties and three lead changes until the Pirates (4-0) scored four-straight points to take a 10-6 lead and force a Mason timeout. Mason continued to stay in the set with 11 combined kills from the outside duo of Spaar and Gacek. The Patriots kept the pressure on until the end of the set, getting within two (24-22), but Seton Hall closed out with a kill from Hanna Tulli.
 
In set two, Seton Hall jumped out to an early 9-3 lead and didn't look back. The Pirates were able to limit the Patriots to a game-low seven kills while hitting at their own .300 clip. Mason was able to fight back to get within three points, but a strong finish saw Seton Hall take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Set three was all Mason, as the Patriots scored the first point on a Spaar kill and led all set. Mason stretched the lead to as many as 10 with senior Taylor Terry at the service line, where she tallied three service aces and sparked three kills from three different Patriots. The teams traded points down the stretch but Mason cruised to a 25-19 win to cut into the Pirates' match lead.
 
Both the Pirates and the Patriots had strong offensive showings in set four, converting 18 and 14 kills, respectively. Neither team led by more than three points until a kill from Camille Larkin sparked a 6-0 run for the Patriots and give them a 19-13 lead and force a Seton Hall timeout. Mason held the lead and drew match point on Chelsea Colter's second solo block of the set, but Seton Hall used a 6-0 run of their own to close out the set and win the match 26-24.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: SETON HALL

• Ewelina Gacek and Olyvia Kennedy also hit double-figure kills, putting down 11 and 10, respectively
• Camille Larkin had an efficient night at the net, tallying eight kills on nine attempts for a team-high .778 clip
• Gracie Halley once again led all players with a game-best 16 digs
• Taylor Terry tallied a game-high three service aces as five different Patriots notched at least one.

 
UP NEXT
The Patriots will wrap up the Seton Hall Classic tomorrow at noon when they take on the Peacocks of Saint Peter's.