George Washington University Athletics
George Washington University
Illinois
Illinois Downs Colonials, 3-0
9/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 1, 2001
FAIRFAX, VA (Sept. 1) - Despite being overmatched by a taller, more experienced Illinois squad in the first two games, the GW volleyball team came out strong in game three before dropping its third straight match, 0-3, Saturday at George Mason University's John Linn Gym in the Brion's Grille/Patriot Invitational. The Illini won by the scores, 30-17, 30-15, 30-28.
GW built a 13-5 lead in game three but the Illini battled back and knotted the game at 27-27 before scoring three of the game's final four points to complete the sweep.
Sophomore outside hitter Ruth Lazzari led GW with 10 kills in 31 swings for a .161 percentage. Lazzari also had a team-high five digs. Freshman middle blocker Amanda Carnahan had her best match as a collegian hitting .400 with five kills in 10 attempts while committing just one error. The 6-foot-3 Santa Rosa, CA, native also had a block solo and assisted on two blocks.
GW (0-3) hit a season-low .127 as a team with 23 digs and just two service aces in the one-hour, 15-minute match.
Illinois (3-0) was led by Melissa Vandrey's 16 kills and Kathleen Bazzetta's nine digs.
GW next travels to Stockton, CA, Friday to compete in the Pacific Nike Invitational at the University of the Pacific. The Colonials face Pacific Friday at 10 p.m. (EDT). GW will play Northwestern Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) and Connecticut at 8:00 p.m. (EDT)
The trip to Stockton represents a homecoming for sophomore setter Lauren Dunning and head coach Jojit Coronel. Dunning attended Stockton's St. Mary's High School while playing for the Vision Volleyball Club. Coronel spent five seasons as the assistant coach for the Pacific men's volleyball team before coming to GW as an assistant coach in 1999.
