Fairfax, Va. – Despite a career day from graduate student
Elizabeth Drelling, the Duquesne University volleyball team fell in a five-set thriller at George Mason on Saturday evening in Atlantic 10 action. The Dukes conclude the season with a 13-17 overall record and finish 4-14 in conference play.
POINT OF EMPHASIS
In the deciding set, the Dukes trailed 7-5 before Duquesne scored three consecutive points to take an 8-7 advantage. Sophomore
Avery Hobson tallied a pair of successful swings as junior
Carsyn Henschen carded a kill. George Mason countered with a 3-0 run of their own to take a 10-8 lead before the Dukes knotted the score at 10-all with an error by the Patriots and a rejection from junior
Ariel Helm and freshman
Emersen Schrom. Duquesne would take a 12-11 lead on a kill from Drelling but George Mason ended the match on a 4-1 run to take the set, 15-13.
DOMINATING BOUNCE BACK
After falling in the second set 25-21, Duquesne bounced back in dominating fashion, posting a .407 swing percentage and 16 kills to take a 25-17 set win. George Mason cut the lead to 12-11 early in the third set, before the Dukes extended its lead to 16-12 by scoring four of the next five points. Drelling found the floor successfully before a Patriots miscue continued the run. Schrom and Iriarte tallied a block, followed by a successful swing from Iriarte. After consecutive points from George Mason, Duquesne countered and ended the set on a 9-3 burst to give them the win. Hobson and junior
Carsyn Henschen led the charge with two kills each while Henschen and Iriarte each tallied a block.
HOT START
Despite the Patriots posting more kills and a better hitting percentage, Duquesne was able to rally and capture a 25-22 victory in the opening set. After being tied 9-9, the Dukes rattled off three straight points to take a 12-9 lead. Freshman
Emersen Schrom tallied a kill followed by a point from classmate
Mirabella Iriarte before Schrom capped the run with a service ace. George Mason cut the deficit to one (16-15) before the Dukes exploded with a 7-1 stint to stretch its lead, 23-16. Sophomore
Avery Hobson collected a pair of aces while junior
Ariel Helm and Schrom each collected two blocks during the stint. George Mason would get as close as 24-22 with a 6-1 burst but a kill from Drelling sealed the set for the Dukes.
CAREER DAY
Playing in her final collegiate match, graduate student
Elizabeth Drelling did not disappoint, ending with a career day. She finished with a career-best 24 kills on 44 attacks while posting a .409 swing percentage. Drelling posted seven of the Dukes nine kills in the second set while recording a .545 hitting percentage. She followed that up with back-to-back six kill sets in the third and fourth, hitting an incredible .750 in the third and .360 in the fourth. The California native ends the season with a team-leading 328 kills while producing 367.5 points, both in which ranks in the top 10 of the conference. Drelling finished the season with 152 digs, 42.0 total blocks, and 15 service aces for the red and blue.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Joining Drelling in double figures was
Emersen Schrom and
Avery Hobson. Schrom finished with 14 kills and a .387 swing percentage while totaling five blocks and four digs. Hobson totaled 11 kills, eight digs, and two aces while collecting three blocks on the evening. Sophomore
Chloe Wilmot controlled the offense with 28 assists and six digs while graduate student
Grace Kristofic finished with 18 assists and six digs. Junior
Madison Grimm ended with six digs and five assists for the Dukes.
Mirabella Iriarte and junior
Ariel Helm tied for the team-lead with six blocks each.
