Post by midwestfan on Jan 15, 2005 23:46:00 GMT -5
The 2005 men's volleyball season began for George Mason on Friday night and the Patriots looked as if they had played a dozen matches as they hit .500 for the match and played solid defense, defeating visiting St. Francis (Pa.) University, 30-15, 30-25, 30-24.
It was the third match of the year for the Red Flash (0-3) and they left John Linn Memorial Gymnasium still looking for their first win of the year. They struggled hitting the ball in the first two games before coming on strong in the final game. Unfortunately, the Patriots didn't shrink from the challenge.
Shaun Powell, who played in just five games in 2004 as he lost the season to a leg injury, looked nothing like a player who had a 20-month layoff. He was unstoppable, compiling 22 kills while committing four errors on 30 attacks. His .600 hitting percentage made him one of three Patriots to hit .500 or better. Freshman Hudson Bates had 10 kills while committing one error on 15 attacks while Graham Sheppard had six kills and one error on 10 attacks and Matt Steinfurth had seven kills and two errors on 10 attacks. As a team, George Mason hit .500.
St. Francis hit just .170 in the match, and most of that production came in the final game. The Red Flash opened the third set by converting their first 11 attacks into kills, grabbing a 15-13 lead. But the Patriots stepped up the defense and St. Francis managed just 6 kills and six errors on its final 21 attacks.
The Red Flash finished with 14 digs and three total blocks while Mason had 22 digs and eight total blocks. Brandon Kelly had 10 kills on 22 attacks while Travis Fox added nine kills on 18 attacks with three errors.
Dave Egan tallied 39 assists for Mason and team-highs in digs, seven, and block assists, five. Steinfurth added four block assists and Bates had four digs. The season-opening win was especially sweet for the Patriots, who opened 2004 0-11, as they were without senior Felix Campos, who was second in the nation in 2004 in kills per game. He missed the game due to disciplinary reasons.
It was the third match of the year for the Red Flash (0-3) and they left John Linn Memorial Gymnasium still looking for their first win of the year. They struggled hitting the ball in the first two games before coming on strong in the final game. Unfortunately, the Patriots didn't shrink from the challenge.
Shaun Powell, who played in just five games in 2004 as he lost the season to a leg injury, looked nothing like a player who had a 20-month layoff. He was unstoppable, compiling 22 kills while committing four errors on 30 attacks. His .600 hitting percentage made him one of three Patriots to hit .500 or better. Freshman Hudson Bates had 10 kills while committing one error on 15 attacks while Graham Sheppard had six kills and one error on 10 attacks and Matt Steinfurth had seven kills and two errors on 10 attacks. As a team, George Mason hit .500.
St. Francis hit just .170 in the match, and most of that production came in the final game. The Red Flash opened the third set by converting their first 11 attacks into kills, grabbing a 15-13 lead. But the Patriots stepped up the defense and St. Francis managed just 6 kills and six errors on its final 21 attacks.
The Red Flash finished with 14 digs and three total blocks while Mason had 22 digs and eight total blocks. Brandon Kelly had 10 kills on 22 attacks while Travis Fox added nine kills on 18 attacks with three errors.
Dave Egan tallied 39 assists for Mason and team-highs in digs, seven, and block assists, five. Steinfurth added four block assists and Bates had four digs. The season-opening win was especially sweet for the Patriots, who opened 2004 0-11, as they were without senior Felix Campos, who was second in the nation in 2004 in kills per game. He missed the game due to disciplinary reasons.