The University of Rhode Island women’s volleyball team looked to stretch its winning streak against George Mason University in a weekend series, where the Rams went 1-1 to find their second win in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
With URI finding its first conference win of the season on Oct. 29 against Fordham University, taking on the fourth-ranked team in the A-10 served as a test to see how the Rams would compete with top teams this late in the season.
On Saturday, the first set was neck and neck until the end, with George Mason holding a 22-21 lead late in the set. With the deficit being so minimal, Rhode Island was able to take the lead back quickly after a block from second-year Erika Bracey and a kill from third-year Sydney Houchens. Setting up a set point, Houchens was able to find another kill for a total of four in the set, and the Rams would go on to win 25-22.
However, sets two and three didn’t go the same way for URI. The dominance from the service line by George Mason would cause problems early, building an insurmountable lead for Rhody to come back from, and the Patriots would win set two, 25-18.
Using the momentum from the second set, George Mason would set up a set point at 24-21, but an attacking error, a block and an ace would tie it up at 24-24. Although the Rams fought back to tie it, back-to-back attacking errors from URI pushed the Patriots over the edge and gave them the set victory, 26-24.
With the visiting team now leading 2-1, Rhode Island needed to pull off a win in the fourth set to keep this game alive, and it did. A total of eight blocks at the net for Rhody would limit George Mason to hitting below 10% in the set, and URI tied up the match at 2-2.
The fifth set was a thriller, as there were nine ties and six lead changes. With the score at 11-11, George Mason’s outside hitters converted on back-to-back kills to extend the lead and would close out the set to win the match, 3-2.
“We are a team that needs to learn how to win,” URI Head Coach Ryan Sullivan said. “Our serve-receive struggled a little bit tonight, so they just got to find a way to overcome some tough serves, and we have to keep the same mentality that we had today so that we can come out on top [on Sunday].”
For the second consecutive match, URI came out swinging in the first set on Sunday, opening the match with a 9-3 run courtesy of the Patriots’ struggles from the service line. However, this lead wouldn’t last long, as George Mason would storm back to tie it up at 19-19 with a 9-1 run. After a timeout, both teams would once again go back and forth to keep it tied at 23, but a kill off a free ball from second-year Havyn Rolle would set URI up for set point, and Houchens ended the set with a kill, putting Rhode Island up 1-0.
Set two was similar, with there being another tie at 14-14. This wouldn’t last long, as the Rams would go on an 8-0 run to make it 22-14, and third-year McKenna Melton put the cherry on top with a kill to win 25-17.
In the third, there was another tie at the midpoint in the set at 13-13, but that wouldn’t last long after a 3-0 run from the Patriots. Back-to-back kills late in the set would extend the lead too far, and George Mason found their first set win of the day, making it 2-1.
Rhode Island was determined to close it out in the fourth set, as it led the whole way after the only tie at 1-1. Strong serves from fourth-year Ryleigh Powers helped the Rams get a 20-16 lead late in the set, and efficient hitting from the middle would close out the set and the game for a Rhody win, 3-1.
“We’re so proud of them,” Sullivan said. “This is a really good experience for our young ones, and we’re program building, so we want to take wins as we can get them, and I think we definitely won something tonight.”
With URI now 2-1 in its last three games, it will travel to Chicago to take on Loyola University Chicago in a weekend series on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. Both games will stream on ESPN+.
