BALTIMORE, Md. — George Mason defeated Loyola Maryland 3-1 on Sunday at Reitz Arena. The Patriots closed the fourth set by winning five of the final six rallies after a 20-20 score.

The Patriots won the first set 25-22, with Nia Thompson pairing the opening service ace with the final kill from Ava Cheney. After Loyola Maryland tied the set at 13-13, the Patriots answered with three straight points, including a Cheney/Meredith Brown block assist and a Thompson kill, to move ahead 16-13. Thompson totaled seven kills in the set.

The Patriots moved ahead midway through the second set after trailing 12-11, tying it on Jenna Hunt's kill, taking a 13-12 lead on Autumn Martinez-Robinson's ace and later going up 16-13 with a Thompson kill and a block by Kiera Hamilton and Brown. Loyola Maryland answered with four straight points to take a 17-16 lead, and the Patriots tied it at 17 on a Loyola Maryland attack error. Loyola Maryland then closed out the set 25-20.

The Patriots finished the third set by winning the final six points, turning a 19-14 lead into a 25-14 set win. Mia Hazelett served the last five points after Hamilton's kill made it 20-14, and Thompson recorded the final three kills, with Cheney assisting the first two.

The Patriots trailed 20-18 before winning seven of the final eight rallies to take the fourth set, 25-21. After Loyola Maryland moved ahead 21-20, the Patriots tied it on an attack error, followed with kills from Brown and Hamilton, and finished the set on Avery Booker's service ace.

PATRIOT POINTS
Nia Thompson
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- 22 kills on .405 hitting
- 23.5 points
- 12 digs
- 1 service ace

Kiera Hamilton
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- 18 kills
- 20.5 points
- 8 digs
- 2 service aces

Ava Cheney
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- 50 assists
- 10 digs
- 1 service ace
- 1 block assist

Avery Booker
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- 14 digs
- 2 service aces

Meredith Brown
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- 7 kills on .462 hitting
- 3 block assists
- 8.5 points

UP NEXT
The Patriots play Delaware State on Friday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. in Harrisonburg, Virginia on the campus of JMU.