Charleston, WV – The University of Charleston men's volleyball team split its two-match EIVA series with George Mason University at the Wehrle Innovation Center, earning a sweep on Friday night before dropping a tightly contested match on Saturday.
Game 1:
THE BASICS:
Location: Charleston, W.Va. (Wehrle Innovation Center)
score: UC 3, George Mason 0 (25–19, 25–15, 25–18)
Records: Charleston 6-5 (1-0 EIVA), George Mason 5-5 (0-1 EIVA)
How it Happened:
Charleston came out strong in the opening set, using a four-point run to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead. The Golden Eagles reached double digits first and continued to apply pressure, extending the advantage to 17-10 before hitting 20 points at 20-13. George Mason exchanged points late, but Charleston's early control proved decisive as a kill from Dimitris Manikas sealed the set.
Momentum carried into the second frame as Charleston scored the opening point and quickly built a 5-1 lead. The Golden Eagles again reached double digits first, with Lucas Torres recording the 10th point of the set. After George Mason closed within two at 15-13, Charleston responded with a four-point run to regain separation. A dominant closing stretch, led by Torres and Braxton
Francis, allowed the Golden Eagles to score the final five points and take a 2-0 match lead.
Charleston looked to close out the match in the third set and did so in commanding fashion. Two early 5-1 runs gave the Golden Eagles a 12-6 advantage. George Mason rallied to make it a one-point match at 17-16, but Patriot attack errors fueled a decisive Charleston response. The Golden Eagles scored four straight points before finishing the match with a Conrad Spidsø kill followed by a Marco Kost service ace.
Offensively
Max Nissen led Charleston with 11 kills, while Lucas Torres added nine and Conrad Spidsø finished with seven.
Defensively
Yotam Briger recorded 29 assists as Charleston totaled 14 block assists. Lucas Torres led the back row with 12 digs, while Conrad Spidsø added five.
Game 2:
The Basics:
Location: Charleston, W.Va. (Wehrle Innovation Center)
Score: George Mason 3, Charleston 0 (15–25, 25–27, 24–26)
Records: Charleston 6-6 (1-1 EIVA), George Mason 6-5 (1-1 EIVA)
How It Happened:
George Mason set the tone early in the opening frame, reaching double digits first and building a 13-7 lead. The Patriots continued to extend the margin throughout the set and pulled away late with a five-point run to stretch the advantage to 21-11 before closing the set with a service ace.
Charleston responded in the second set by jumping out to a 6-2 lead, but service errors allowed George Mason to steadily work its way back. The Patriots eventually tied the set at 17-17, forcing extra points. Charleston held set point at 24-23 and again at 25-24, but a service error opened the door for George Mason, which finished the set with two straight kills to take the frame, 27-25.
The third set featured another back-and-forth battle as neither team was able to pull away early. After trailing 10-8, George Mason used a four-point run to take control and later extended the lead to 18-15. Charleston answered with a run of its own to tie the set at 20-20 and forced extra points at 24-all, but the Patriots once again closed strong, recording the final two kills to secure the match.
Offensively
Max Nissen paced the Golden Eagles with 10 kills, while Lucas Torres recorded eight and Xander Bomert chipped in nine.
Defensively
Yotam Briger totaled 30 assists. Lucas Torres finished with five digs, while Max Nissen added four. Conrad Spidsø contributed three block assists.
Up Next:
Charleston stays home at the Wehrle Innovation Center to host Sacred Heart University on Thursday, Feb. 20, with first serve set for 7 p.m.
