Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
George Mason
Men's Volleyball Falls To George Washington 3-1
March 19, 2002 | Men's Volleyball
March 19, 2002
Box Score
FAIRFAX, VA - Senior Scott Kittleson recorded a career- and match-high 17 kills to lead the George Mason University men's volleyball team over Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tait Division-opponent Princeton, 3-1 (30-17, 30-26, 23-30, 30-22), in the John Linn Memorial Gym on Tuesday evening. The Patriots ended a three-match skid to improve to 11-6 overall and 8-1 in the EIVA, while the Tigers fall to 11-9 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
Kittleson recorded just one error in 19 total attempts to hit at a career-high .842 - ranking fifth in George Mason history in single-match hitting percentage. He had hit error-free, within reach of the school record, until posting his lone attack error late in game three.
The Patriots dominated game one, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after consecutive blocks by junior James Claney. Another George Mason run capped off by a Claney ace increased the Patriot lead to 8-1. Princeton came within five points at 10-5 on a kill by freshman Blake Robinson , but couldn't get any closer. George Mason claimed game one, 30-17, in just 15 minutes on Claney's third kill of the game. Freshman Felix Campos a game-high six kills, hitting .714, in game one. The Patriots outhit their opponents .632 to -.133 in the game, and outblocked them 6.5 to 1.0, led by Claney's four blocks. George Mason scored first in game two on a kill by senior Dave Mattas. Both teams went on to trade points, with Princeton scoring five of its first six points off George Mason errors. Another kill by Mattas tied the score at 12-all, and kicked off a three-point Patriot run with George Mason taking the lead, 14-12, on a block by senior Jonathan Hanners, freshman Shaun Powell and Claney. Kittleson's 10th kill of the match gave George Mason match point at 29-25, and the Patriots went on to win game two, 30-26, on a Princeton service error. After game two Kittleson had tallied 10 kills on 11 attempts, hitting at .909. The Patriots hit at .471 in the game, while the Tigers improved greatly to hit at .462, and outblock George Mason 3.0 to 1.5.
George Mason used consecutive kills by Claney and Campos to take the 12-8 lead in game three. But the Tigers used a 7-0 run, including consecutive aces by senior Scott Dore, to go ahead 23-17. Princeton won game three, 30-23, on a kill by freshman Ryn Burns.
Four straight George Mason points, capped off by a kill by junior Art Kulans, gave the Patriots the 7-3 lead in game four. George Mason used a five-point run to extend their lead to seven at 20-13 on a block by Claney and Campos. The Patriots claimed the match with a 30-22 game four win on a Hanners kill.
Three other Patriots recorded double-figure kills, including Campos with a career-high 15, hitting at .321. He added a career-high eight blocks, five digs and an ace. Powell finished with 12 kills, hitting .450, with six digs, three blocks and an assist. Claney recorded 11 kills, hitting .667, with a match-high nine blocks, two aces and a dig. Hanners posted a match-high 46 assists, while sophomore Brad Kniewel had a match-high nine digs. Kittleson added four blocks and two digs.
Burns and Robinson led the Tigers with 12 kills apiece. Dore added 11 kills, hitting .474, with a team-high four blocks. Sophomore Jason Liljestrom finished with a team-high 43 assists and three blocks.