ODU Volleyball to Play in George Mason Invite This Week
George Mason Invite
Tournament Info – Thursday, Sep. 12 – Saturday, Sep. 14
Location – Recreation Athletic Complex (Fairfax, Va)
Watch – ESPN+ (ODU vs. George Mason)
Live Stats – ODU vs. George Mason | ODU vs. Quinnipiac | ODU vs. Navy
Full Schedule
Thursday
6 p.m. – George Mason vs. ODU
Friday
10 a.m. – Navy vs. Quinnipiac
4 p.m. – ODU vs. Quinnipiac
7 p.m. – George Mason vs. Navy
Saturday
11:30 a.m. – ODU vs. Navy
2:30 p.m. – George Mason vs. Quinnipiac
NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion volleyball will travel to Fairfax, Virginia to compete in the George Mason Invite this Thursday through Saturday, Sep. 12-14, where they will face off against George Mason, Quinnipiac, and Navy.
The Monarchs will kick off the tournament against the host Patriots on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Recreation Athletic Complex. On Friday, ODU will face Quinnipiac at 4 p.m. before finishing the tournament against Navy on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Navy and Quinnipiac will begin tournament play on Saturday at 10 a.m., where Navy will also finish the day against George Mason at 7 p.m. To close out the tournament, the Patriots and the Bobcats will face off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
ODU’s opening match against George Mason will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats also available for all games. Admission for the tournament will be free for all matches.
"I'm looking forward to our trip to Mason," said ODU Head Coach Fred Chao. "I cherish my 20-plus years as a student-athlete and coach, and a part of me will always be a Patriot. I had the privilege of coaching so many young men and women who I still keep in contact with to this day. Now, as a Monarch, bringing my team back to Mason will be special on many levels."
About ODU
The Monarchs (5-2) are coming off two straight wins after going 2-1 in the Villanova Classic, where they bested Loyola (Md.) and Villanova with scores of 3-2 and 3-1, respectively. Myah Conway led the way in kills with 40, while Ashlynn Belcher had a team-high 99 assists. On the defensive end, LeeAnne Lowry accounted for 15 blocks as Kate Kilpatrick led in digs with 46. Alice Munari also earned a double-double in the team’s match against Loyola with 10 kills and 14 digs.
Belcher and Elisa Maggi were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
ODU is ranked ninth in the nation in kills (363), 10th in services aces (56), and 13th in team assists (333). Lowery is also ranked 23rd in the nation with 32 blocks and Belcher leads the Sun Belt Conference in assists with 189.
This week’s tournament will be a homecoming for Coach Chao, who is returning to his alma mater. He played volleyball for the Patriots in 1994, the same year that he received his bachelor’s degree from George Mason. Following his graduation, he would go on to coach the men’s volleyball team for 17 years (1998-2015), and simultaneously serve as an assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team for six years (1998-2004).
"I literally cut my teeth (well, broke one) as a player during a defensive drill," continued Chao. "I remember designing the floor of the RAC gym using WordArt back in 2009. Many of the lessons I taught to my teams are still taught to our Monarchs. I'm looking forward to seeing familiar faces from Mason Nation, and honoring their former support by bringing a highly competitive Old Dominion squad 'back to the RAC.'"
About George Mason
After going 1-2 in the Tribe Invitational, the Patriots (2-4) are returning home for an eight game homestand. They will face off against Quinnipiac for the second straight tournament, where they came out victorious 3-1 on Sep. 6. Senior Olyvia Kennedy leads the Patriots in kills with 51, though junior Haley Graetz is close behind with 46. Throughout the Tribe Invitational, sophomore Chelsea Colter accounted for 15 block assists out of her 20 for the season, while sophomore Camryn Weldon had 53 assists, bringing her current assist count to 111 for the season.
Thursday’s match will mark just the second meeting with the Patriots. ODU secured its first ever victory as a program with a 3-0 decision over George Mason on Jan. 22, 2021, in Norfolk.
About Quinnipiac
The Bobcats (1-6) suffered three losses in the Tribe Invitational as they follow George Mason to Fairfax. Graduate student Elena Giacomini and sophomore Leilani-kai Giusta accounted for the most team kills in Williamsburg, with 40 and 34 respectively. Senior Fa’avae Kimsel Moe added 44 more digs to her team-leading 84 during the tournament, while Giacomini supported the defense with six block assists.
ODU and Quinnipiac are meeting on the court for the first time this week.
About Navy
Coming from the Kristen Dickmann Invitational in Annapolis, the Midshipmen (0-6) are looking to put themselves in the win collum. Freshmen Isa Boyd leads the team in assists with 77, with 35 of those coming from the recent invitational. Sophomore Paige Buzzerio served five aces throughout the invitational as well, though Senior Hannah Hoover leads the team with 13. Hoover, on the defensive end, accounted for 26 digs to bring her season total to 58.
ODU and Navy are tied at 1-1 in the all-time series. The Mids competed in the 2022 Quest for the Crown, a match that the Monarchs won in five sets on Sep. 8. ODU then made the trip to Annapolis in 2023 for the Kristen Dickmann Invitational, falling to the hosts in four sets on Sep. 2.
Up Next
The Monarchs will be back in Norfolk for the Old Dominion Invitational on Thursday, Sep. 19-21 in the ODU Volleyball Center.