Nov. 13, 2008

The George Mason women's volleyball team returns home after a five-match road swing this weekend to host UNC Wilmington on Friday and Georgia State on Saturday. Both matches will be played at the Field House at 7 p.m.

Admission to each match is $5 for adults and $2 for youth and senior citizens. Mason students can receive free admission by showing their Mason student ID cards. Saturday's match is the Broadside Game of the Week, and students can receive a free soft pretzel, while supplies last.

Mason is coming off a five-set victory at James Madison last Saturday, as the Patriots snapped a six-match winless streak with the win over the Dukes. Set scores were 25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 25-15, 15-6. In the victory, junior Rebecca Walter notched her sixth double-double of the year, leading a Mason attack which dominated JMU in hitting percentage (.336-to-.168) and blocks (11-to-3).

UNC Wilmington, which comes to Fairfax with a 6-21 record (0-12 CAA), will try for its first CAA win of the season after it dropped all three of its matches last week, opening with a non-conference loss to long-time rival Coastal Carolina on Tuesday before suffering conference setbacks to VCU and William & Mary over the weekend.

Georgia State is in a similar position, entering the weekend with a 3-23 record and 2-10 mark in conference play, as the Panthers dropped their matches against the Tribe and the Rams as well last weekend.

Mason sports a number of players among the best in the CAA rankings coming into the final weekend of the regular season. Senior Jourdan Dozier leads all players with a 1.13 blocks per set average, while Walter is third in kills and points per set, averaging 3.37 and 3.76, respectively. Sophomore Fernanda Bartels is sixth in the conference with 8.51 assists per set, while junior Laura Turner is sixth in aces per set (0.30) and seventh in hitting percentage (.279). Freshman Katrina Boryc currently ranks 10th in digs per set (2.86).

On Saturday, prior to the start of season finale against Georgia State, three Mason seniors will be honored as they take the court for the final time. Outside hitter Morgan Connell, libero Chelsea Kropp, and middle blocker Jourdan Dozier will each be recognized for their contributions to Mason volleyball.