FAIRFAX, Va. –-- Juniors Mark Shayka and John Sobel delivered nine kills apiece, but the Lees-McRae men's volleyball team stumbled at George Mason, 14-25, 18-25, 17-25, Saturday evening at RAC Gym in Fairfax, Va.
The Patriots (5-6) swung .500 on the evening, including .591 in the second set. The Bobcats (0-8) used 24 assists from Drew Blecher (York, Pa.) and eight digs from Keenan Freitas (Hilo, Hawaii).
LMC took a 10-9 lead in the first after a kill from freshman Hector Serviat (Miami, Fla.) and a GMU service error.
Despite three kills from Serviat and another service error, the Patriots rattled of a 16-4 run to claim the first set.
GMU's Langston Payne bashed out a pair of kills to spark an 8-2 run to open the second.
Strong play from Shayka (Hamilton, Va.) and Sobel (Holbrook, N.Y.) helped cut the deficit to four, 13-9.
Blecher dished out an assist on a Shayka kill to make 20-18.
The Patriots responded with a 5-0 run to claim the set.
GMU led wire-to-wire in the third.
Sobel, Blecher and freshman Levi Gifford (Virginia Beach, Va.) combined for a block to make it 6-5.
The Patriots swung at a .522 clip to complete the sweep.
LMC continues its nine-match road swing with a trip to North Greenville Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in Tigerville, S.C.
- LMC -
