FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason women's volleyball battled through five hard-fought sets on Wednesday night but came up just short in a 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 15-13) thriller against George Washington inside the Recreation & Athletic Complex.

Kiera Hamilton led the way for the Green & Gold with 15 kills, five blocks, and 19.5 points, while freshman setter Ava Cheney orchestrated the offense with 46 assists, five digs, and two blocks. Haley Graetz continued her strong play on the outside with 13 kills on .280 hitting and added a pair of blocks.

The Patriots (14-9, 7-5 A-10) jumped ahead early, taking the opening set 26-24 behind timely kills from Hamilton and Meredith Brown, who finished with nine kills and three blocks. After George Washington (14-10, 7-5 A-10) responded in the second, George Mason regained the momentum in the third frame, winning 25-22 with balanced scoring across the front line.

The Colonials narrowly escaped the fourth, 25-23, to force a decisive fifth set. Despite kills from Graetz and Brown down the stretch, George Washington held off a late Patriot push to secure the 15-13 win in the final frame.

Defensively, Autumn Martinez-Robinson anchored the back row with 22 digs and three service aces, while Avery Booker contributed 16 digs and 11 kills. Chelsea Colter also added seven blocks, helping the Patriots out-block the Colonials 15–9 on the night.

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The Patriots head to Rhode Island this weekend for two games vs. the Rams. They'll play on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.