Mason Hosts 4-Team Holiday Tournament

By Kendra Webb (Dec. 24, 2001)

Today, on their first day of vacation, George Mason’s girls’ varsity volleyball team hosted three teams at their first annual Mustang Invitational. Featured in the round-robin tournament were AA schools Broad Run, Courtland, and Stone Bridge High Schools from Virginia. Starting play at 10 o’clock this morning, the Mustangs were no doubt tired from returning from Madison County only 12 hours earlier from a district match-up. The girls had lost in two games in possibly their worst and most disappointing match of the season. 
 

Coach Barbara Mahony gives her charges directions during a time out in the Mustangs’ invitational volleyball tournament on Saturday.

The Mustangs are set to spring for a spike during one of their three matches Saturday in their invitational volleyball tournament.

In their second match-up of the day, the Mustangs took it two three games against Courtland, a great comeback after losing the first game 2-15. Senior Beth Parks made a powerful showing with three kills and a block as rookie sophomore Andrea Arias turned heads with her contributing block. Winning the second game, 15-9, the girls felt good going into the third game, but lost regardless of their three kills as a team, and lost 2-15.

Playing the last match of the night, with a start time of approximately 4:30, the girls set out to play Broad Run, a team Mason had beaten in their second scrimmage of the year, the girls felt confident although fatigued from the day’s events. In the first game, both Webb and senior co-captain Leen Quintyn went a flawless seven for seven serving. Thompson added a kill and the team’s only two blocks. This was not enough, however, as Mason fell to the Spartans 10-15. Game two proved to be the team’s most promising as far as blocking went, sending six balls back on their opponents’ court. Both Straub and Webb shared the position of setting, making great plays to hitters. Quintyn, Thompson and Parks to pull ahead and win 15-12. In the third and final game, Broad Run started with the ball and played very evenly with the ‘Stangs for the entirety of it. Senior Christina Christianson was able to show off her serving abilities, going four for four and clinching two aces. Leading the offense were Parks and Webb with three hits apiece, two of which were kills. In what was a very tight game, Broad Run came from behind to take Mason 13-15. 

In the final results of the tournament, Courtland came in first place going undefeated, Stone Ridge second, Broad Run third, and the Mustangs ended up in fourth. The team looks forward to receiving needed rest over their winter break and coming back to host Bull Run District rival Rappahannock High School in The Pit on Friday, January 4^th.