Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University volleyball team opened its final homestand of the 2023 regular season Friday, snapping a four-game slide with a 3-1 victory over George Mason at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes improved to 11-12 (.478) overall with the win, including 6-9 (.400) in the Atlantic 10.
Graduate student
Morgan Gish helped pace the attack for Duquesne by recording her eighth double-double of the season with 14 kills, which tied for team-high honors with freshman
Avery Hobson, and 10 digs.
The Patriots opened with a 27-25 victory in the opening set before the Dukes rebounded to win three consecutive sets and earn the win.
Trailing in the second set, 6-3 and 10-5, Duquesne rallied with a 15-3 run to close out a 25-16 victory. Gish opened the salvo with a kill while sophomore
Hanna Wilson posted three consecutive service aces to help the Dukes grab a 20-18 edge. An attack error from Caroline Rodriguez of GMU gave Duquesne a 21-18 lead, and Wilson added another service ace to continue the run.
In the third the Dukes surged to leads of 3-0, 7-3 and 9-5 before the Patriots responded with a 5-2 burst to knot the score, 10-10. Unfazed, Duquesne posted a rally of its own, using a 7-2 run to open up a 17-12 cushion en route to a 25-16 triumph. Gish was the main offensive force during with three kills.
In the fourth set the Dukes never trailed, opening up a 12-6 advantage. George Mason (7-20 / 3-12 A-10) was able to close to within 20-19, but Duquesne kept the Patriots at bay as senior
Camille Spencer provided a kill before Wilson recorded another service ace. Sophomore
Ariel Helm clinched the victory in a 25-20 win in the fourth with a kill off a feed from freshman
Chloe Wilmot, who posted 38 assists.
The Dukes had three players reach double digits in digs in Gish, Wilmot, who led the team with 14, and sophomore
Madison Grimm with 12. Duquesne finished with an attack percentage of .300 and also recorded eight service aces, including a career-high five from Wilson.
Duquesne and George Mason meet again Saturday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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