FAIRFAX, Va. – Behind a season-high nine service aces as a team and another career day by sophomore pin hitter
Aidan Weltin, the George Mason Men's Volleyball team defeated FDU, 3-1, at the Recreation Athletics Complex Sunday afternoon, extending their home win streak to six games.
PATRIOT POINTS
- Aside from blocks, where FDU had the upper hand 10 to six, the Patriots overpowered the Knights in hitting percentage (.393 to .240), points (76.5 to 50.5), kills (61 to 39), service aces (six to one), blocks, assists (57 to 37) and digs (44 to 30).
- Pin hitter Aidan Weltin had a career-high 22 kills, breaking his previous record of 21 set earlier this season on Feb. 6. His four service aces is a new career-high for the sophomore as well.
- Junior opposite hitter Jackson Herbert had the second-most kills on the afternoon with a season-high of 15. Junior outside hitter Robert Evangelista was third with 11, tied with FDU's Dylan McFadden.
- Senior setter Georgi Zahariev had a game-high 52 assists, one shy of his season-high of 53 set on Feb. 27 against No. 19 NJIT.
- Sophomore hitters Michael Schofield and David Hill saw action as well. Schofield logged three kills hitting .750, two digs and a block assist, while Hill had four kills, three digs, a block assist and the team's only solo block of the game.
George Mason (12-7, 2-2 EIVA) swept the season's home-and-home series with FDU (6-9, 0-2 NEC) with a strong offensive presence at the net and at the serve. The Patriots' nine service aces are the most this season and the most since their 10-spot against St. Thomas Aquinas last season on
Jan. 31, 2025. It is also the second consecutive season in which the Green and Gold put up that many aces on the Knights, as they did so on
Feb. 8, 2025.
SET 1: George Mason - 25, FDU - 16
The first set saw points traded between the Patriots and Knights up until 8-8, with four of the eight FDU points coming from Patriot service errors. The Patriots finally pulled away, however, by rattling off the first of their two 5-0 runs of the set. In that run, senior middle blocker
Elijah Lazor landed his second service ace of the season, Evangelista scored two kills, Weltin recorded one kill and the Patriot defense forced a Knight attacking error.
At 14-10, after a few more points were traded, George Mason went on their second 5-0 run. The first three points were kills by Weltin,
Alexander Lillie and Herbert, followed by back-to-back Knight errors.
The Patriot offense kept the pressure on, hitting a game-best .500. The 23
rd point was scored by Weltin's ace and the set-clincher was scored by Herbert, notching the team's third service ace of the period.
SET 2: George Mason - 25, FDU - 12
The second set was George Mason's strongest of the afternoon, displaying a steady diet of two aces, one triple block and two double blocks. Sophomores
David Hill and
Michael Schofield saw action as well, as they were subbed in the middle of the set.
After the Knights took the first point with a Laydon Biro kill, the Patriots went on a 4-0 run and never lost the lead. Seven different Patriots recorded kills, including Weltin (three), Lazor (2), Evangelista (2), Hill (2),
Georgi Zahariev (1), Herbert (1) and Schofiled (1).
The Patriots tacked on two more aces late in the set. Sophomore middle hitter
David Hill recorded his service ace at 19-9, while senior setter
Georgi Zahariev knocked in his one ace of the afternoon at 21-10. Zahariev would also finish the game with 52 assists, his second-highest this season.
SET 3: George Mason - 27, FDU - 29
The Knights showed fight and took the third set, led by a strong performance by Dylan McFadden's seven kills. The 31-minute period saw 10 lead changes and 25 tied scores.
The Knight defense stepped up, making a game-high four double blocks. In total, FDU out-blocked George Mason 10 to six in the game.
After falling 20-22, the Patriots took a timeout. They would then rattle off three points in a row to take the 23-22 lead. The Knights would take the next two, pushing George Mason to the brink, but a Knight service error leveled the game again.
The Patriots had a chance to put away the Knights at 26-25, but Panagiotis Kourmouzos recorded a kill to tie it up again. The Patriots would have a chance again the following point after Jackson's kill, but the Knights responded with a McFadden kill. Ultimately, the Knights pulled away and scored the final two points by way of an FDU double block and a McFadden kill.
SET 4: George Mason - 25, FDU - 16
The Patriots applied the pressure from the beginning of the set and never let up, scoring the first four points and never giving up the lead. In that initial run, Weltin recorded two service aces and Hill notched the team's only solo block of the afternoon.
George Mason kept a firm grip of the game, and at 19-13, Weltin put away his career-high 22
nd kill of the game. He would promptly hit his fourth and final ace at 23-15, cementing his career-high in that category as well.
COACH'S CORNER
"I am happy with the weekend's results," said head coach
Jay Hosack. "Although it was not our cleanest win, it was a good team win. We are building good momentum for the upcoming weeks in EIVA play."
UP NEXT
George Mason will hit the road and return to EIVA action next week, as they will travel to Fairfield, Connecticut, for a two-game series with Sacred Heart. The first game will be on Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m., and the second game will be the following day at 4 p.m.
