Junior Matt Gallik (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother Rice) (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother Rice) led Lewis with 16 kills on a .696 hitting percentage. He also added four blocks (one solo). Junior Aaron Flick (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward) (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward) hit .591 with 13 kills.

 

“Our middles (Flick and Gallik) did a nice job,” head coach Dan Friend said. “They put up some close to career numbers unfortunately it came in a loss.”

 

Sophomore Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) had a double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs.

 

George Mason jumped out to a 13-6 advantage in the first set. The Patriots led 24-22 when back-to-back Gallik kills tied up the set. George Mason earned their third set point by scoring the next point. Lewis tied it at 25 on a Patriots service error. A George Mason attack error gave Lewis their first set point at 26-25. The teams traded points until Flick recorded a kill for point 29 and gave Lewis the set.

 

Lewis looked to be nearing a 2-0 match lead after taking a 16-12 lead in the second set. Three straight George Mason points got the Patriots back in it. George Mason eventually tied it at 19 and took the lead at 21-20. It was tied at 23 when back-to-back Mark Jones kills gave the Patriots the set.

 

The Patriots easily won the third set to go up 2-1.

 

The match appeared to be heading to five sets after Lewis led 13-6 in the fourth set. George Mason inched back in it, eventually taking an 18-17 advantage. Petty had an ace to make the score 23-22 in favor of George Mason. However the Patriots won the match by scoring the next two points.

 

Both teams hit .328 and recorded 6.5 blocks. George Mason held a 44-38 edge in digs and recorded seven aces to Lewis' four.

 

“The difference was they scored points at the right times and we had errors at the wrong times,” Friend said. “We had a couple bad streaks and gave up too many big runs.”

 

The match featured 33 ties and 11 lead changes.

 

George Mason improves to 14-8. Lewis falls to 15-9. The Flyers are next in action on Thursday, hosting conference-foe Quincy at 7 p.m.

 

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.

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