By Zach Gindi-Chiafullo
The Revolutionaries (11-6) powered past George Mason (11-5) in four sets, battling through defensive challenges and late rallies to secure a gritty home victory and extend their strong conference start.
It was the 64th overall matchup between the two rivals, with the Revolutionaries having a 49-15 advantage, winning last year’s two contests against the Patriots, who were coming off a sweep against Duquesne heading into last weekend.
It was never going to be an easy matchup. “When you go into a conference match, there’s always a lot of nerves.”, said Head Coach Katie Reifert. “[George] Mason’s a good team. They’re not just going to come in here and roll over. I mean, they want to beat us up more than anybody.” That’s what made GW’s 50th win against George Mason all the more special.
It was apparent that it was a team effort. Three different players each had three kills early in the first set. Among those players were Cayla Cogan and Taylor Treahy, who each racked up 12 kills for the match. In addition, Treahy had five of the team’s 13 blocks.
Photo By: GW Athletics
GW had trouble responding to George Mason’s defensive endeavors and their fast playing style, headlined by Haley Graetz, who lit up the stat line for the Patriots in the first set and the entire match and finished with 10 kills.
However, the team was able to stay in the game with their offensive alignment and teamwork. Coach Reifert acknowledges that the team is “not a one-trick pony” or a “one woman show. We’ve got a lot of firepower, and when they’re all firing, it’s pretty scary,” Reifert said. The Revolutionaries narrowly won the first set, 25-23.
That firepower evidently continued throughout the second set, as GW dominated throughout. When George Mason took their first timeout, GW was leading 6-1. They looked much more down-to-earth and in the game compared to the first set, being more aggressive on both offense and defense. Four players had four kills by the time of that first timeout.
George Mason did a solid job of keeping rallies going and attempting to rack up points, but it has not been enough to prevent GW’s strong coordination in this set. “In that first set, we weren’t swinging super confidently. We weren’t passing super confidently. And so I just reminded them that what we do works and that we can get kills in the ways that we know how.”, said Reifert when asked about the second set, which GW won in a landslide, 25-10.
It wasn’t all bad for the Patriots, though, as they had notable bright spots on the court. Outside hitter Kiera Hamilton came through with 10 total kills and 5 digs for the match, and Libero Autumn Martinez-Robinson was shining, ending up with 22 digs and a perfect hitting percentage on the night.
In fact, George Mason with the game on the line looked like the strong team their record showed they were, and displayed that they were very much still in the game. They showed consistent prevalence and were able to gain momentum, and won the third set, 25-16.
Reifert mentioned that GW “took their foot off the gas” during the third set, and
“[George] Mason, you know, started doing what they do well, and we just didn’t respond. She added that after the set, she told the team, “We know what we can do about the scene, and again, we know what we do works.”
The Revolutionaries were able to get their foot back on the gas to start the fourth set, eager to get the win by taking it. Cogan and Treahy once again made their presence felt on the court by making key plays on offense and defense, and additionally, outside hitter Alexis Rodriguez had her share of the spotlight, especially in this set. She ended the match with eight kills and 11 digs.
The players were scoring points consistently, and their resilience proved overwhelming for George Mason. They clinched the fourth set with a score of 25-14, winning the match on their home court and moving to 4-1 in conference play. This remarkable victory against a formidable opponent keeps GW in a strong position in the A-10, just what they need as they prepare for their road trip to New York.
“My team is really locked in right now. I do not doubt that they’re gonna show up to Fordham the same way they showed up to this one,” said Reifert.
Next, the Revolutionaries are set to face another conference rival as they head to the Bronx to take on the Fordham Rams this Saturday at 2:00 PM.
