Volleyball took down George Mason in a comeback victory after losing the first two sets, striking a 3–2 final score.
The Colonials (9-9) dropped the first two sets narrowly against the Patriots (5-11) but managed to build solid leads in the third and fourth sets before taking the match in the fifth. The Colonials picked up their third straight win after beating Duquesne on the road twice last Friday.
The Patriots got off to a quick start offensively, notching three straight points after serving to start. GW returned fire, going on a 4–2 run to make it 7–5, off of two kills by sophomore outside hitter Brittany Myers. Myers would go on to lead the Colonials with 19 kills on the night.
The set remained tight throughout, with GW taking the largest lead at four midway through. Sophomore opposite MC Daubendiek and graduate middle blocker Tierra Porter stuffed a Patriot spike at the net to take a 19–15 lead.
George Mason responded with a 10–3 run to take the set 22–25. The Colonials struggled to limit their service errors throughout the match, often sending them long and tallying four in just the first set.
After GW dropped the first set, the second proved to be the closest of the match, featuring multiple lead changes. After the Colonials pulled ahead with a 7–5 lead off a serve from freshman libero Penelope Hiepler, the set difference would stay within one until the final point.
With the second set tied at 22, GW sent a serve way long to put them at a one-point disadvantage. Sophomore outside hitter Salem Yohannes notched a well-placed kill to tie it back up.
George Mason scored off a classic bump, set and spike before winning the final point off the serve to take set 2.
The third set was a different story as the Colonials took a commanding lead early, at one point leading 20–9, coming off an 8–0 run. Yohannes led the final part of the surge, scoring three straight aces.
But the Patriots wouldn’t give up easily, mounting an improbable 14–4 comeback run that threatened to seal the match and brought the score to within one. GW managed to hold on after a long volley, keeping their chances alive and capturing the set 25–23.
The Colonials took full control in the fourth set, capitalizing on their momentum from the third set lead. GW would build a sizable lead, going up by as much as eight and outpacing the Patriots in hitting .292 percent to .143 percent.
After setting the score at 19–11, the lead shrank and George Mason pulled within just four at 24-20. Junior opposite Liv Womble sealed the fourth set for GW, going off the pace with a well-placed tap to nab the final point.
In the fifth and final set, GW dropped the first two points after a pair of kills by Patriot sophomore right side Olyvia Kennedy, who led the match in kills with 20. The Colonials then went on a 7–3 push, punctuated by a dramatic blog at the net from senior middle blocker Addie Feek to make it 7–5.
From here, the lead stayed within one point until a strike from Porter evened the match at 13. Freshman libero Amina Robinson served for GW and fired an ace to set up a match point. The Colonials led big in aces on the day, scoring 12 to George Mason’s five.
After a net violation by the Patriots on the final point, GW took set 5 and the match, despite dropping sets 1 and 2.
Despite a number of service errors and an inability to hold leads in the first and second sets, the Colonials managed to reignite their offense and deliver well-placed strikes to retake the match.
GW will take on Saint Louis on Friday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Smith Center.
