UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – For the second day in a row, the George Mason men's volleyball team's went the distance but ultimately fell to No. 15 Penn State, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall. Despite the loss, the Patriots finish the regular season with 20 wins the for first time since their 2006 season, where they finished with 22 wins.
George Mason (20-9, 8-4 EIVA) fell to Penn State (20-7, 12-0 EIVA) in a tense five-set match on Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall, with scores of 25-20, 13-25, 25-22, 15-25, 13-15. The Patriots achieved a .565 hitting percentage in the opening set, but the Nittany Lions ultimately secured the victory. With George Mason's Saturday loss, paired with NJIT's win over Sacred Heart, the Patriots secure the third seed in next week's EIVA Tournament.
EIVA TOURNAMENT BRACKET (APRIL 22-25)
SET 1: George Mason - 25, Penn State - 20
The first set began with the Patriots overcoming an early deficit to secure a 25-20 victory against the Nittany Lions.
Aidan Weltin contributed crucial points, including a kill at 18-16, assisted by
Georgi Zahariev.
Jackson Herbert and
Robert Evangelista also made significant impacts with their kills, keeping George Mason competitive throughout the set.
Key defensive plays included blocks from
Alexander Lillie and Evangelista, which disrupted Penn State's momentum. Despite a series of service errors, the Patriots maintained control and finished the set with an attack error by Tristan Hassell, sealing their win.
SET 2: George Mason - 13, Penn State - 25
Penn State established control in the second set with a series of scoring runs, capitalizing on George Mason's errors. Tristan Hassell contributed significantly with multiple kills, including two consecutive points that moved the score to 5-2. Sean Harvey added to the momentum with a kill, extending the Nittany Lions' lead to 12-7.
Lillie and Evangelista managed to break through with kills for the Patriots, but service errors hindered their comeback efforts. Bennett Wilson sealed the set for the Nittany Lions with a service ace, followed by another George Mason service error, concluding the set at 25-13.
SET 3: George Mason - 25, Penn State - 22
The third set saw George Mason edge the Nittany Lions 25-22 in a tightly contested battle. Hassell of Penn State was a force with multiple kills, including the first point of the set and another that tied the score at 11-11. The Patriots responded with a sequence of plays led by Evangelista, who contributed several crucial kills, including one that brought the score to 13-13 and the decisive point at 25-22.
Weltin and
Elijah Lazor also added key points for the Patriots, with Weltin's kill at 16-16 helping to maintain momentum. Despite a service ace by Michael Schwob of Penn State that briefly gave them a 16-15 lead, the Patriots capitalized on attack errors by the Nittany Lions to clinch the set.
SET 4: George Mason - 15, Penn State - 25
Penn State secured a commanding 25-15 victory in the fourth set, overcoming the Patriots' efforts. The set began with Weltin scoring for George Mason, assisted by Zahariev, but the Nittany Lions quickly shifted momentum. Harvey contributed significantly with multiple kills, including a crucial one from Schwob's setup, extending Penn State's lead to 5-1.
The Patriots struggled with errors, allowing the Nittany Lions to widen the gap, despite efforts from Herbert and Evangelista. Hassell closed the set with a decisive kill, ensuring Penn State's dominance and moving the score to 25-15.
SET 5: George Mason - 13, Penn State - 15
In the decisive fifth set, the Nittany Lions opened with a strong start, taking an early 4-1 lead with contributions from Owen Rose and Hassell. Despite a series of service errors from both teams, Penn State maintained its lead with key plays from Hassell, who frequently found success with assistance from Schwob.
The Patriots fought back to tie the game at 13-13 following a block by Lazor and Weltin. However, the Nittany Lions secured the final two points with consecutive kills by Harvey, concluding the set and match with a 15-13 victory.
UP NEXT
George Mason will begin postseason play next week and will return to State College for the 2026 EIVA Tournament. As the No. 3 seed, the Patriots will play their first game against Princeton (7-14, 3-9 EIVA) on Wednesday, April 22, at Rec Hall. First serve is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
