Howard Volleyball Dominates in Away Win Over George Mason

FAIRFAX, Virginia -- Howard University rallied from behind a first set loss to knock off host George Mason in a four-set showdown this afternoon.

In the first set the Bison started the match with a 6-1 deficit before fighting their way back to a 7-7 tie. Although the Bison were able to close the gap, they were unable to keep a lead, losing the set 22-25.

The Bison opened set two with the first point, capitalizing off of an attack error by George Mason's Peyton Ehmke. The Bison lost momentum quickly after the Patriots went up 4-1 due to multiple errors by the Bison.

"Today's game was a tough battle. With a young group out on the court we made a lot of errors but were able to make up for it by being aggressive," said head coach Shaun Kupferberg.

Continuing in the second set, Jurnee Tipton broke the ice with a kill that improved the score 4-2. The Bison trailed George Mason for most of the set before picking up velocity in the middle of the set with repeat kills that gave the Bison a 17-16 lead. The match saw additional lead changes before the Bison pulled away with a 25-22 win.

The Bison dominated the Patriots in the third set with plenty of team kill action. Contributions from Kira Porter, Marcelle Butler, Olubunmi Okunade, Tamia Dockery, Kailyn Williams and Jurnee Tipton helped Howard lead most of the set. Howard took a commanding 25-16 win.

Looking to win the game in the fourth set, the Bison delivered handily. An attack error by Ehmke opened the set and the Bison never looked back, eventually going on an 8-0 run. The Patriots began to fight back and came within 3 near the end of set. The Bison did not relinquish control, holding on to their lead and finishing the match, 25-21.

Marcelle Butler had a team high 17 kills. Jurnee Tipton and Kailyn Williams posted 12 kills. Tipton added 16 digs and 3 assists. Tamia Dockery put up an impressive 44 assists, 10 digs, 5 blocks and 4 kills. Freshmen Antonia Kearney and Busisiwe Banda both recorded two aces.

"There are a lot of areas we need to work on but I'm happy with where we are right now," concluded Kupferberg.

The Bison face the Wichita State Shockers in Burr Gym on Sunday. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. General admission tickets are $8. There is no cost to Howard students with valid HU identification. Live stats of the game can be viewed by visiting https://hubison.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary.

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The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.