JMU VOLLEYBALL DROPS CAA OPENER 3-0 AT GEORGE MASON

Saturday, September 25

Fairfax, Va.

7:00 p.m.

James Madison University

11-4, 0-1CAA

George Mason

6-7, 1-0CAA

James Madison

George Mason

9/26/2010 12:32:00 AM | Volleyball

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 25, 2010 - Sophomore Danielle Erb (Tampa, Fla./Plant) picked up her seventh double-double of the season, but it was not enough as James Madison volleyball lost its Colonial Athletic Association opener 3-0 at George Mason on Saturday evening.

Mason won by set scores of 27-25, 25-20 and 25-17 to improve to 6-7 overall and 1-0 in the CAA. The Dukes had their four-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 11-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Erb finished with 11 kills and six errors for a .135 attack percentage while also adding 10 digs. Senior Lindsay Callahan (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown) had a team-high 11 digs and six kills. Senior Jessica Zeroual (Ottawa, Ont./De La Salle) and redshirt sophomore Natalie Abel (Washington, Pa./Trinity) chipped in with seven kill each. Senior Lauren Fanelli (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) and sophomore Megan Wiechmann (Sunland, Calif./Village Christian) combined for 30 assists, eight digs and a block.

Lana Zonjic and Noelle Fanella led the Patriots with 10 kills each. Preseason CAA Player of the Year Holly Goode led all players with 13 digs. Danielle Cook had a match-high nine blocks while Fernanda Bartels chipped in 29 assists and six blocks.

GMU outhit JMU .260 to .078 and held a 12-4 advantage in blocks. The Patriots led 5-4 in service aces and committed just 13 attack errors to Madison's 24.

The first set was tightly contested with neither team leading by more than four points. There were nine tie scores and five lead changes. JMU opened the biggest lead of the set at 13-9 before Mason battled back to take a 19-18 lead. The teams traded points until led in the set when the Dukes forced their first set point at 24-22. The Patriots won the next two points to even the score at 24 apiece. JMU won the next point to bring up its third set point of the match, but lost the next three points to lose the set 27-25.

In set two, Mason ran out to a 14-4 lead including a 9-0 run with Goode on the serve. The Dukes responded with a runs of 6-1 run and 3-0 to cut the lead to 23-19, but the Patriots won two of the final three points to close out the set.

The Patriots took an early 14-9 lead in set three and never allowed it to get closer than three points the rest of the wa