BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 19, 2024)--Daniela Ferreira and Addison Metts each tallied 11 kills, but it wasn't enough, as Morgan State dropped a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 18-25, 25-21) decision to host George Mason on Thursday evening in the opener of the Patriot Invite at the Recreational and Athletic Complex.
 
Hannah Chappelle recorded a team-high eight digs and Mya Karrick finished with a match-high 23 assists.
 
Morgan State (3-9), which had its season-best two-match winning streak come to an end, jumped out to a 1-0 set lead, after earning a 25-23 victory. It was the Bears' seventh consecutive set win, dating back to the final two matches at last weekend's Penn Invitational.
 
The Bears held a 13-7 when the Patriots countered with a five straight points to cap off a 9-1 run to take 16-14 advantage. A kill from Haley Graetz brought the hosts within a point at 19-18, but Morgan State scored the next four, capped off by a service ace from Karrick to increase its lead to 23-18.
 
George Mason (4-6) would not go away, as the Patriots scored five consecutive points to tie the score at 23 all. Morgan State then got a kill from Ferreira, followed by an attack error on George Mason to end the set with a 25-23 victory.
 
It would be all George Mason after that, as the Patriots held a 40-23 advantage over Morgan State in kills the remaining three sets. The hosts would close out the match with a set-best 16 kills and a set-high .313 in the fourth and final set.
 
The Patriots were led by Olyvia Kennedy, who finished with a match-high 12 kills, while Graetz added 10. Damiana Bova-Ford collected 21 assists and Camryn Weldon totaled 18. Autumn Martinez-Robinson had a match-high 12 digs.
 
Morgan State held a 10.0-9.0 advantage in blocks over George Mason. The Bears were led by Jada Williams, who tallied a match-high seven blocks. The Patriots were led by Chelsea Colter, who finished with five.
 
The Bears will be back in action on Friday, Sept. 20 when they take on Gardner-Webb at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs (2-9) are coming off a 3-0 loss at UNC Wilmington in the UNC-W Invitational (9/13). Morgan State is 2-0 all-time against Gardner-Webb. The two last met in the Spartan Spiketacular in Greensboro (9/18/10), a five-set victory by Morgan.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.