ANNAPOLIS, Md. – George Mason battled but fell in four sets to Wake Forest on Friday afternoon at the Wesley A. Brown Field House, 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 18-25, 22-25).
The Patriots came out strong, taking the opening set 25-20 behind efficient hitting and steady defensive play. Wake Forest responded with three straight set victories, pulling away late in the second and third frames before edging George Mason in a tight fourth to close the match.
Kiera Hamilton led the Green & Gold with a match-high 13 kills, adding 14.5 points and three digs. Nia Thompson was a force at the net, posting nine kills on a .348 clip while contributing six digs and two block assists. Setter Camryn Weldon dished out 18 assists to go along with six kills on a perfect 1.00 hitting percentage, while Autumn Martinez-Robinson anchored the back row with 11 digs and three service aces.
Haley Graetz chipped in seven kills (.462) and two block assists, while Meredith Brown tallied six kills and four blocks. George Mason finished the afternoon with 48 kills, 40 assists, and 14 total blocks as a team.
UP NEXT
The Patriots play the Navy Midshipmen tomorrow at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and admission to the Kristen Dickmann Invitational is free, but only those with a DoD-approved ID will be allowed to drive onto the USNA. All other fans must park at an offsite location and take a fan bus in. On Friday (2-9:30 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.), fans can park at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (there is a $10 fee to park) and take the free shuttle onto the base, departing and leaving from the Blue Angel jet. On Saturday (2-9:30 p.m), due to the Navy football game, fans can park for free at the Navy Health Clinic and take the shuttle from there. All visitors 18 and over must have a valid picture ID to enter the USNA. No exceptions.
