Broadside Sports

John Powell, Assistant Sports Editor

Coming off a three-match sweep in the Patriot Invitational, the women’s volleyball team showed that their early season success was no fluke. On Wednesday night, George Mason University traveled to Catonsville, Md. and dismantled the UMBC Retrievers 25-18, 25-21, 25-15.

Mason’s success came down to two players: sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Bohman and junior middle blocker and opposite hitter Holly Goode. Bohman was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. She has already tied the school single-match block total, accomplishing the feat by making 11 total blocks against Cornell in the Patriot Invitational. In addition to the CAA weekly recognition, she was named the Best Hitter of the Patriot Invitational.

Bohman continued her defensive hot streak Friday night by recording a team high four blocks for the game. In addition, she bolstered the team’s attack column by registering an attack percent of .571. This was accomplished by smashing four kills without making an error.

Goode compiled 12 kills over the game, making the best of the 23 chances she had during the night. Most notably, she was responsible for garnering 15 of Mason’s total 53 points during the match.

Former CAA All-Rookie Team selection junior setter Fernanda Bartels made stellar defensive plays during the night, most notably by making eight of the team’s 37 digs. This shows how she is keeping up with last year’s statistics where she was second in the team with 220 total digs. The Patriots had a good defensive night overall with five players turning in at least six digs.

The first set was clearly dominated by the Mason’s attack, shown by the 8-2 run that was put together after giving up the first point of the match on a Retrievers’ kill. The lead was never too close in the first set with the smallest margin at three points. The final time the Retrievers pulled close, the Patriots capped the set with a four-point run.

The second set was much closer. The lead changed hands four times until the Patriots made another four-point run for the lead, which was never relinquished. The final point run came in the third set as they went 8-1 to gain a lead that would not be lost, guaranteeing the victory.

Mason (6-2) played this past weekend at the N.C. State Classic in Raleigh, N.C. against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and against Xavier Musketeers, N.C. State Wolfpack and DePaul Blue Demons.