Fairfax, Va.- The 2024 men's volleyball journey has come to an end with a defeat against Penn State in the EIVA Championship. It was a hard-fought battle on the court with offensive power forces,
Jack Bolz and John Kerr, going head-to-head in kills. Mason Nation was present throughout the game and pushed the team until the final whistle.
Jack Bolz and
Omar Hoyos were named into the EIVA All-Tournament team after the immense performances that they displayed against Charleston and Penn State.
The first set was a spectacle with both teams hungry to gain an advantage and set the tone.
Jack Bolz was the offensive leader recording kills from every position on the court. There were nine moments where the game was all tied up, open for any team to take the lead. Mason had a 24-21 lead until Penn State went on a four-point run to tie up the game at 24-24. The Patriots kept it strong with
Sam Peters recording the 24
th point with a kill and a block by
Omar Hoyos and
Lucas Little to secure the first set for the Patriots over Penn State.
Penn State came out a strong statement in the second set reaching an early 6-1 lead. Mason fought hard to tie up the game at 11-11 and the energy was back for the Patriots. Later on, with a block by Ezeonu and Kowal, the game was tied for the last time in the set. Penn State would go on a four-point run to end the hopes of a comeback for the Patriots at 16-21. George Mason was able to score four more points but with errors by the Patriots, the Nittany Lions secured the 25
th point and tied the game at 1-1.
The third set was up for grabs for both teams, a true classic was being played. George Mason had an exciting lead late in the set at 19-17 with blocks by
Omar Hoyos,
Lucas Little, and
Troy McDonald. Penn State clutched up and scored four consecutive points to get back the lead at 21-19. Unfortunately, the Patriots could not get back into the game and a Toby Ezeonu kill ended the third set and gave the advantage to the Nittany Lions.
The momentum was in Penn State's favor, the crowd was hyping up the team, and George Mason had to find a way to get back into the game. The Nittany Lions had an early 6-2 lead but Mason crawled back to make it a one-point game. The Patriots were not able to get back into the game and Penn State took full advantage of the moment. The EIVA Player of Year and the MVP of the tournament, John Kerr, scored the final point and handed the EIVA Championship to the Nittany Lions.
The season comes to an end, but the memories that were made throughout the months will not be forgotten. Traveling to California and defeating ranked teams such as CSUN and the big one against No.3 UC Irvine. The first conference win against NJIT during the New Jersey trip. Finally coming back home to the RAC after being on the road for two months. Going undefeated at the RAC, winning all 11 games that were played including big conference wins against Princeton and Harvard. The senior sendoff with
Omar Hoyos,
Sam Peters,
Colin Heath,
Jason Ashenfelter,
Jack Bolz, and
Eamonn Testerman was emotional and we are thankful for everything they gave on the court and off. The Patriots will be back stronger for next year and will be eyeing down the EIVA Championship.
Quotable:
I know we didn't win tonight, but in my mind this group accomplished so much this year," said head coach
Jay Hosack. "I am very proud of our seniors and the leadership they provided to the young guys. They learned what it takes to be successful, and will carry those lessons throughout their careers here. Our future looks very bright, and left it all out on the court tonight".
By the Numbers:
