George Mason upends Trojan spikers

Published in Sports on March 27, 2005 2:08 AM

• Print
• Email

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Mount Olive battled to the wire in the first two games, but George Mason pulled away in game three for a 30-23, 30-28, 30-17 in men's college volleyball action Friday evening.

Michael Kren and Steve Perez led the Trojans with seven kills apiece.

Mount Olive (3-8) rallied from an early three-point deficit as a double block by Julio Arnaiz and Albert Napoles gave the Trojans a 17-16 lead in the opening game. George Mason (15-7) came back to take another three-point lead, but Jason Fernandez' kill capped a 5-2 run and tied the game 23-23.

That would be the Trojans' last point of the game as Hudson Bates served four aces in a game-clinching 7-0 run.

Zach Wilson served an ace to start game two as the Trojans raced out to a 4-0 lead. Mount Olive built the lead to as many as five as Kren recorded a kill and combined with Fernandez on a block to keep the Trojans in front 15-10.

George Mason rallied to take its first lead of the game 19-18 on a double block by Matt Steinfurth and Shaun Powell.

The Patriots never led by more than two and the Trojans retook the lead as Arnaiz' kill and Wilson's ace put Mount Olive back on top 27-26. After the Patriots scored the next two points, a Mount Olive side out tied the game 28-28. But George Mason scored the final two points to take a two-game lead.

Game three was tied 7-7 when George Mason scored six unanswered points and Mount Olive never got any closer than four the rest of the way.

Wilson led the Trojans with four aces, while Arnaiz finished with a team-high four blocks. Mount Olive recorded a .255 hitting percentage in the first two games, but struggled at the net in game three and finished with a .164 hitting percentage for the match.