LORETTO, Pa. (Feb. 12, 2010) -
Jordan Varee (Conneautville, PA/Conneaut Valley) (Conneautville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) posted his team-leading third double-double of the season, but it was not enough as the Red Flash men's volleyball team fell 3-1 (23-30, 30-24, 26-30, 25-30) to the George Mason Patriots on Friday night in Loretto.
Varee notched 14 kills and 11 digs, but the Red Flash hit an uncharacteristically low .080 against the Patriots, who did an excellent job of serving strong and forcing the Red Flash into low percentage passes. George Mason's defense was also impeccable; the Patriots recorded 14 total team blocks and were able to control play above the net.
The first game set the tone for the rest of the evening, as the Patriots jumped off to a 10-5 lead that prompted a Red Flash timeout, followed by a 6-3 that forced a second pause from Saint Francis at 15-8. Mason's Andrew Dentler hit .357 with eight kills in the first set, which the Patriots took 30-23. The Red Flash were never truly able to build any steam in the set; after the first timeout, they were never able to get closer than five points.
It seemed that the tables had turned in the second set, though, as the Red Flash were having much more success attacking than in the first. Alex Fortney (York, PA/Central York) (York, Pa./Central York) led the Red Flash with four kills in the second set, but it was the defense that sparked the rebound; Pete Freyer (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) recorded a team-high five blocks in the second set in addition to three kills.
After Mason pulled to within 24-23 late in the set, Freyer sealed their fate with a pair of blocks - once teaming up with Fortney, another time with Nick Rivett (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) - to force a George Mason timeout. The Flash would ultimately close on a 7-1 run to take the set 30-24.
The third set was a spirited battle with good pacing; there were no timeouts until the Red Flash went on a small run to take the lead 18-15. After that, the Patriots nearly doubled the efforts of Saint Francis. After a Rivett kill tied the score at 22-22, the Patriots closed on an 8-4 run, with Dentler recording four of his five kills in the set in that span.
The fourth set began much the same way as the third, tied 5-5 early on. It was off to the races for George Mason, though; the Patriots went on a 5-1 run to take the 10-6 lead, never looking back as they took the fourth set 30-25.
The Red Flash were led in kills by Rivett, who finished with 15 to go with nine digs and five blocks. Rivett needs just three more kills to pass Marc Honore (San Fernando, Trinidad/Naparima) for second-most for a career in the rally scoring era. Seth Katich (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) finished just shy of his second 15-dig match of the season, recording 14 digs. Freyer finished with a .421 hitting percentage with 11 kills, and also had a match-high eight blocks.
The Red Flash will host the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders tomorrow evening. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m.
