HACKENSACK, N.J. – FDU men's volleyball returned home for an evening matchup against a No. 20 ranked George Mason earlier today. Despite a solid effort, the Knights were unable to find enough of an answer for the hot hitting Patriots squad.
Despite putting up strong numbers in set one, the Burgundy and Blue were not able to take or hold a lead. 14 kills, two aces and three blocks kept FDU in the match, with senior
Jack Lydon leading the pack at five kills of his own. However, a .400 hitting George Mason pushed through and took set one 25-23.
Set two showed a strong Knights defense, as FDU tallied five blocks. Despite the improvement, a struggling offense proved detrimental as unforced errors tallied up. Although giving a strong comeback effort, including a block and kill from junior
Naveen Fernando, the Knights dropped set two 24-26.
Proving they were not going down without a fight, the Burgundy and Blue came out swinging in set three, taking an early 12-7 lead. Offense shined as FDU logged 14 kills and only three errors for an impressive .407 hitting clip. A struggling Patriots squad couldn't find their footing, as eight hitting errors opened the way for the Knights who took the set 25-21.
Set four saw back-and-forth action until the Knights were able to pull away for an 21-18 lead. The lead didn't last for long however, as George Mason came back with vengeance, going on a 10-6 run. Senior
Artem Vetrov kept FDU in the match, logging three kills during that run, but the effort wasn't enough as George Mason took the set and match 28-26.
The Knights were led by Vetrov, who tallied a match high 19 kills on the night. With three aces, four blocks and six digs, the Moscow native had a career showing. Defensively, senior
Grady Hoffman led the charge, logging a match-high 15 digs.
FDU will be back in action on February 15, as the Knights return home to face American International, looking to defeat the Yellow Jackets for the second time this season. First serve is set for 5 p.m. at the Bogota Savings Bank Center and will be streamed on NEC Front Row.
