MASON FIGHTS BACK FOR 3-2 VOLLEYBALL WIN OVER JMU

Saturday, November 8

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7 p.m.

James Madison University

11-18, 4-8CAA

George Mason

7-18, 3-9CAA

George Mason

James Madison

11/8/2008 5:00:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 8, 2008 ? James Madison held a two sets to one lead, but George Mason came back for convincing wins in sets four and five for a 3-2 win in a Colonial Athletic Association women's volleyball match on Saturday night in Sinclair Gymnasium.

GMU improved to 7-18 overall and 3-9 in the CAA while winning by set scores of 25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 25-15, and 15-6. JMU fell to 11-18 overall and 4-8 in the league with the loss eliminating the Dukes from CAA Tournament contention, clinching the final spot for Towson. The Patriots snapped a six-game losing streak while the Dukes dropped their fifth in a row.

Senior Lauren Miles (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Prep) posted a double-double with 53 assists and 13 digs. Sophomore Lindsay Callahan (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) led JMU with 19 kills. Senior Michelle Johnson (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos) contributed 12 kills, a career-high four aces, and six digs. Sophomore Sofia Lindroth (Edwards, Colo./Battle Mountain) added 12 digs.

Rebecca Walter led Mason with a double-double of 19 kills and 11 digs. Fernanda Bartels also had a double-double with 48 assists, 11 digs, six kills, and five blocks. Noelle Fanella added 15 kills and six digs for the Patriots.

The turning point of the match came in set four when the Patriots turned up their blocking performance. Mason notched six of its 11 blocks in the match during the set. Leading 13-10, the Patriots went on a six-point run to break the set open 19-10. A Fanella kill finished the set, her fifth of the set.

The Patriots kept the momentum into the decisive fifth set, vaulting out to a commanding 9-3 lead with two separate four-point runs. JMU closed to 10-6 before a five-point run ended the match. Eight of Mason's 15 points in the set came on JMU attack errors.

In the opening set, Mason led 19-18 before the Patriots scored five of the next seven points to grab set point. JMU had a three-point run to pull within one