Saturday, January 6
Santa Barbara, CA
2:00 P.M.
California State University at Northridge
1-2,0-0Big West
1
vs
3
George Mason
1-2,0-0EIVA
1
2
3
4
F
George Mason
24
25
32
25
3
CSUN
26
18
30
22
1
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
No. 20 George Mason Knocks Off 17th-Ranked Matadors in Four Sets
1/6/2024 9:07:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
GOLETA, Calif. – Three CSUN hitters reached double figures in kills but the 17th-ranked Matadors came up short in a four-set decision to No. 20 George Mason to conclude the Asics Invitational Saturday afternoon at Rob Gym. Set scores were 24-26, 25-18, 32-30, 25-22 as both teams finished the tournament with identical 1-2 records.
CSUN was led by redshirt freshman Jalen Phillips who put down a team-high 14 kills, hitting .207 on 29 swings. Senior Kyle Hobus added 12 kills (.233) while fellow senior Griffin Walters chipped in 10 kills on 19 attacks to hit .368. Walters also had two of CSUN's eight aces along with four blocks.
The Matadors were out-hit for the second time in three matches in the tournament as George Mason hit .316 to CSUN's .252. The Matadors had a sizable 8-4 advantage in aces and also posted a slight edge in blocks (11-9). The Patriots had 29 digs to CSUN's 26.
HOW IT HAPPENED
NOTES
ACCORDING TO COACH THEO EDWARDS
"Today was a difficult match. Coming into day 3 of this tournament, I knew it was going to be a tough task for us physically, but we lacked consistency, and George Mason played well searching for their first win. There was a pivotal moment in the third set that went into extras, things didn't bounce our way and it ended up being the difference."
UP NEXT
CSUN returns home next week to host Harvard in the Matadors' 2024 home opener on Friday at 6 p.m. inside Premier America Credit Union Arena.
#GoMatadors
CSUN was led by redshirt freshman Jalen Phillips who put down a team-high 14 kills, hitting .207 on 29 swings. Senior Kyle Hobus added 12 kills (.233) while fellow senior Griffin Walters chipped in 10 kills on 19 attacks to hit .368. Walters also had two of CSUN's eight aces along with four blocks.
The Matadors were out-hit for the second time in three matches in the tournament as George Mason hit .316 to CSUN's .252. The Matadors had a sizable 8-4 advantage in aces and also posted a slight edge in blocks (11-9). The Patriots had 29 digs to CSUN's 26.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Neither team hit well in the opening set, but CSUN hit slightly better (.182-.179) to pull out a 26-24 win. The Patriots led for most of the frame until CSUN battled back to tie the game 16-16 following a solo stuff by Donovan Constable. The score remained tied at 18-18, when CSUN put together a 3-1 to open up a 21-19 lead. George Mason answered with a 3-0 run to take a 23-22 lead but the Matadors claimed four of the final five points, the last coming on a Walters ace, as CSUN claimed a 26-24 win.
- Mason scored five of the first seven points to open the second set and never looked back. A Matador service error extended the margin to seven at 17-10 before CSUN staged a late rally to get within 20-17 following a Malcolm King ace. But the Matadors were outscored 5-1 down the stretch as GMU pulled even with the 25-18 win.
- The third set was the tightest of the match as the two teams went to extra points for the second straight set. In a set that featured 24 ties, the Matadors overcame an early two-point deficit as a Phillips kill gave CSUN a 12-10 lead. The teams traded the lead before forging a 23-23 tie. After a Patriot block, Walters saved one set point with a kill. Following a solo block by Owen Douphner, the Matadors had their first of three set points. Mason would save all three before a Matador service error by CSUN and a GMU service ace gave the Patriots a 32-30 win.
- The Matadors led by two early in the fourth set and still led by two at 14-12 on a co-block by Phillips and Jackson Payne. An ensuing 8-6 run by n by Mason knotted the score at 20-20. A pair of kills and a block by the Patriots would give Mason the margin it needed as the Patriots went on the close out a 25-22 win.
NOTES
- Junior setter Donovan Constable handed out a season-high 44 assists in the loss while also adding five digs and a pair of blocks.
- King was also effective in the middle, knocking down five kills on six errorless swings to hit .833.
- Redshirt freshman Chris Karnezis scooped up a season-high six digs at the libero spot.
- With the win, George Mason defeats CSUN for the sixth time in 15 matches between the two teams.
ACCORDING TO COACH THEO EDWARDS
"Today was a difficult match. Coming into day 3 of this tournament, I knew it was going to be a tough task for us physically, but we lacked consistency, and George Mason played well searching for their first win. There was a pivotal moment in the third set that went into extras, things didn't bounce our way and it ended up being the difference."
UP NEXT
CSUN returns home next week to host Harvard in the Matadors' 2024 home opener on Friday at 6 p.m. inside Premier America Credit Union Arena.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
GMU
CSUN
Kills
48
47
Errors
17
21
Attempts
98
103
Hitting %
.316
.252
Points
61.0
66.5
Assists
44
45
Aces
4
8
Blocks
9
11.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Kills
5
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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