CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The George Mason Men's Volleyball team lost its Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) opener tonight at Wehrle Innovation Center, as the Patriots dropped to the Golden Eagles of Charleston in straight sets. This is the first time the Patriots lost to Charleston since Feb. 23^rd, 2024, when the Golden Eagles won, 3-1, in the first of a two game series with the Patriots in Charleston.

PATRIOT POINTS

• Junior outside hitter Robert Evangelista led the team with five kills. Sophomore outside hitter Jack Lopez and pin hitters Aidan Weltin and Sebastian Sanchez were tied for the second-most with 4.
• Lopez, along with sophomore outside hitter Michael Schofield, both recorded solo blocks for the Patriots.
• Setters Gabe Metcalf and Georgi Zahariev shared the team-high assists with 10.

George Mason (5-5, 0-1 EIVA) struggled offensively, managing a .034 hitting percentage compared to Charleston's (6-5, 1-0 EIVA) .254. The Golden Eagles were also able to capitalize on the Patriots miscues; though Charleston committed 14 attack errors and 12 service errors, George Mason had 22 attack errors and 13 service errors of their own. On defense, the Patriots recorded two blocks compared to the Golden Eagles' eight. Finally, the Patriots failed to muster a service ace while the Golden Eagles notched four, including the match-sealing point.

SET 1: GMU - 19, Charleston - 25
The opening set was competitive, with George Mason taking an early 4-2 lead thanks to kills from Aidan Weltin and Jack Lopez. Charleston responded with a scoring run, exploiting George Mason's attack errors to pull ahead 11-7. Despite a strong effort from Robert Evangelista, who delivered several key kills, Charleston held their ground. Dimitris Manikas clinched the set for Charleston with a decisive point, resulting in a 25-19 win.

SET 2: GMU - 15, Charleston - 25
In the second set, Charleston capitalized on George Mason's mistakes to secure a 25-15 victory. A service error by Georgi Zahariev set the Patriots back early. Charleston's Conrad Spidsø and Max Nissen provided crucial kills, with Spidsø also recording a block. Despite efforts from Weltin and Sebastian Sanchez, Charleston's effective plays, including a service ace from Braxton Francis, widened their lead. Tymoteusz Zadeberny's service ace brought up set point before a Jack Lopez attack error ended the set in favor of Charleston.

SET 3: GMU - 18, Charleston - 25
The third set saw Charleston maintain their grip on the match, claiming a 25-18 victory. Charleston established an early lead with multiple kills from Lucas Torres and Max Nissen. The Patriots faced difficulties with errors, including several from Sanchez and Hayden Karpinski, allowing Charleston to extend their lead. Despite points from Michael Schofield and David Hill, the gap remained. The set and match concluded with a service ace from Charleston's Marco Kost.

COACH'S CORNER
"We did not play George Mason Volleyball tonight," said head coach Jay Hosack. "We let them dictate how the match would go, instead of us dictating it. We will figure that out, that I can promise you."

UP NEXT
George Mason will close out the opening EIVA weekend tomorrow, Feb. 14, when the Patriots face the Golden Eagles a second time beginning at 2 p.m. Live stats can be found here and the game will be broadcast on MECTV.