TOWSON, Md. - George Mason rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 3-2 win over the Tigers on Friday night in Colonial Athletic Association play. The Tigers (13-13, 1-8 CAA) had four players reach double digits in kills in the match.
The Tigers found themselves trailing early in the first set as the Patriots opened the match on a 7-1 run. A kill by Kelsey Hoefer on the next play started a 10-4 Tigers run. That run allowed Towson to tie the first set at 11-11. The Tigers took a 15-11 lead on a kill from Shelynne Hoyt. Towson extended its lead to 21-14 on back-to-back service aces by Hoyt. Towson would take the first set by a 25-18 score.
Towson opened the second set on a 7-4 run behind a block by Susan Gansor and Evan Schulz. The Tigers would extend their lead to 16-10 as Amanda Halls recorded a kill. George Mason pulled to within 18-15 in the set behind the strong service game of Holly Goode. After George Mason tied the set at 19-19, back-to-back kills by Katy Buck put the Tigers back on top. The home team would take the second set 25-22.
The third set was tightly contested as the two squads battled through 10 ties and three lead changes. George Mason hit .211 in the set while holding the Tigers to a .078 percentage. George Mason took the third set 25-23 and trailed 2-1 in the match. The fourth set saw the two teams continue to battle back and forth. Towson took an 11-9 lead behind a couple of kills from Buck. Towson held an 18-13 lead in the set before George Mason started its comeback. A service error by the Tigers made it 18-14 and started the Patriots on a 6-0 run. Towson tied the set at 19-19 before a kill by Lana Zonjic, gave the visitors back the lead. George Mason would take the fourth set, 25-23.
George Mason hit .500 in the fifth final set and got four kills and four digs from Zonjic. The Patriots won the fifth set, 15-10 and claimed the match.
Buck led the Tigers with her sixth "double-double" of the year. She had a season-high 21 kills and 16 digs, while hitting .231 for the match and adding two service aces. Halls recorded her eighth "double-double" of the year with 10 kills and 14 digs. Schulz recorded her fourth "double-double" of the year with 56 assists and 10 digs. The 56 helpers in the match ties Schulz's career-high. Hoefer had a season-high 14 kills while Hoyt had 12 kills. Lauren Tonokawa had 18 digs while Stacey Niehoff added 10 digs.
Zonjic finished with 14 kills and 21 digs while Noelle Fanella added 13 kills. Fernanda Bartels tallied 28 assists and eight digs while Katrina Boryc added 11 digs.
Towson returns to action when it hosts James Madison on Sunday, October 31 at 1 p.m.
-- TIGERS --
