Nov. 14, 2007

When the George Mason women's volleyball team travels to Newark, Del., this weekend, it will have its sights set on one goal: become the first-ever No. 6 seed to capture the CAA Championship. Mason, who earned the No. 6 seed following a successful 14-12 (7-7 CAA) regular season, will do battle with the third-seeded Hofstra Pride (17-11, 9-5) in the quarterfinal round.

The winner of that match will advance to play No. 2 Northeastern, who earned a first-round bye with a 19-12, 11-3 record. The tournament will take place at Viera Court on the campus of the University of Delaware, as the Blue Hens captured the first seed.

Hello Again...
Mason will face the Pride for the third time this season and the second time in seven days, after dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker to Hofstra in Fairfax in the final regular season match for both teams. In October, Mason took a 3-1 victory in Hempstead which set up a season split. The Pride took both matchups in 2006 between the schools. Hofstra owns an 11-8 lead in the all-time series.

Good To Be Back
Mason returns to the CAA Championship in 2007 after a two-year hiatus. Prior to missing the 2005 tournament, Mason had qualified for every single conference championship, dating back to the inception of the CAA in 1984.

Did You Know?
Mason head coach Pat Kendrick is in her 23rd season at the helm of Patriots volleyball. She will become the longest-tenured CAA head volleyball coach in 2008, as W&M's Debbie Hill plans to retire following the season.

Fab Freshman
Setter Fernanda Bartels, in her first year in the Green and Gold, has already established herself among the best in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Brazil native has recorded 1,048 assists in her freshman season, an average of 10.59 per game which ranks fifth in the conference. Bartels' 1,048 assists is the highest total by a Mason freshman since Martyne Schroder recorded 1,531 in 1994, her first season in Fairfax.

Dozier's Block Party
Junior Jourdan Dozier currently leads the CAA with an average of 1.26 total blocks per game. She has recorded a total of 120 on the season, including a career day with 12, one short of the school record, against Towson on Sep. 29.

Senior Sendoff
Three Mason players will bookend their careers with an appearance in the CAA Championship after playing in the tournament their freshman years. Senior outside hitter Jaqueline Kohler, along with liberos Kristen Byler and Melissa Kryfka, were honored prior to last Saturday's home match for their contributions to Mason volleyball.

Seven-of-Eight Is Great
A successful late September to early October run helped fuel the Patriots' quest for their eighth CAA title, as the Patriots won seven matches within an eight-match stretch, including four in a row.

Mason Vs. The Field
Mason is 3-3 this season against the other five teams in this weekend's tournament. Mason defeated William & Mary in their only matchup, 3-2, and split with Hofstra and Northeastern. James Madison and Delaware swept the season series against the Patriots.