FAIRFAX, Va. — On the first day of the Uvaldo Acosta Memorial Tournament, the George Mason Men's Volleyball held a decisive straight-set victory over Mount Olive with scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-18 on Friday at the Recreation Athletic Complex. The Patriots have won their second game in a row and have currently won the last six consecutive sets, dating back to last Saturday's home win over Merrimack.

PATRIOT POINTS

• George Mason's offense delivered a season-high five service aces compared to Mount Olive's zero, while the Patriot defense made 12 blocks to the Trojans' four.
• Sophomore pin hitter Aidan Weltin led the Patriot offense with a game-high 12 kills and a team-high of 10 digs. Junior outside hitter Robert Evangelista had the second-most kills on the team with 10.
• Senior setter Georgi Zahariev had a game-high 28 assists, along with four digs, a solo block and a service ace.
• George Mason's defense worked in unison throughout the game, as there were six different Patriots with block assists. Sophomore middle blocker Alexander Lille and Zahariev had one solo block each and had six and five block assists, respectively. Evangelista and senior middle blocker Elijah Lazor both shared four block assists as well.

George Mason (2-3, 0-0 EIVA) dominated the game throughout, but Mount Olive (1-3, 0-0 Conference Carolinas) hung around for most of the first two sets. By the third set, however, the Patriots never trailed, only being briefly tied 6-6 before going on an 8-1 run to separate themselves from the Trojans.

SET #1: GMU - 25, Mount Olive - 22
The opening set featured early scoring streaks on both sides that kept the two teams neck-and-neck throughout most of the period. Robert Evangelista set the tempo with a kill assisted by Georgi Zahariev, sparking the Patriots' early momentum. While Mount Olive's Maksim Kazanov and Christos Savvidis tried to counter with strong kills, George Mason's strategic blocking, especially from Alexander Lillie and Evangelista, kept them in check.

Despite a late push from the Trojans, the Patriots closed the set with a robust defensive stand. With the score tied at 19-19 late in the opening stanza, the Patriots were able to pull away with a strong 5-2 run. Aidan Weltin delivered the pivotal kills, including the set-winning point, again off a Zahariev assist.

SET #2: GMU - 25, Mount Olive - 22
The second set mirrored the first, ending in another 25-22 win for George Mason. The Patriots capitalized on early Mount Olive errors to jump out to a 4-1 lead. The Trojans battled back, leveling the score at 15-15 with crucial kills from Kory Grant.

However, George Mason reclaimed the edge with a series of blocks by Elijah Lazor and Weltin, inching ahead to a 22-21 lead. Eventually, Lillie, Weltin and Evangelista closed out the set, with all three Patriots securing kills in the final 3-1 scoring run to seal the second set.

SET #3: GMU - 25 Mount Olive - 18
The Patriots took a quick 6-3 lead in the third set thanks to four errors by the Trojans. Though Mount Olive would tie the game at six-a-piece, the Patriots went on a pivotal 8-1 run that included three Evangelista kills and an ace, a kill by Lillie and a kill by Weltin.

Though Mount Olive attempted a late rally, narrowing it to 23-17, George Mason held firm, taking the match with Weltin's game-high 12^th kill.

COACH'S CORNER
"We worked hard last week on some specific things, and those transferred over tonight," said head coach Jay Hosack. "We are proud of that effort tonight."

UP NEXT
George Mason will close out the Uvaldo Memorial Tournament with a doubleheader tomorrow against University of Maryland Eastern Shore and No. 10 Ball State. The games can be followed by clicking the links below.

Saturday's game will also be George Mason's Military Appreciation Day. The first 200 fans at the RAC will receive a camo hat before the Patriots face off against No. 10 Ball State.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. Maryland Eastern Shore
WHEN: Saturday, January 31 (2 p.m.)
WHERE: The RAC | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (2-3, 0-0 EIVA); UMES (4-1, 0-0 NEC)
ALL-TIME SERIES: First-ever meeting
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+): Click Here

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL vs. #10 Ball State
WHEN: Saturday, January 31 (5 p.m.)
WHERE: The RAC | Fairfax, Va.
RECORDS: George Mason (2-3, 0-0 EIVA); #10 Ball State (7-1, 0-0 MIVA)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Ball State leads, 45-29; last met on Jan. 21, 2022 (Ball State won 3-0)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
WATCH (ESPN+): Click Here