ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– The Navy volleyball team trailed George Mason for just one point in a three-set victory (25-15, 25-15, 25-15) by the Mids (4-3) over the Patriots (2-4) Tuesday night at the Wesley A. Brown Field House in Annapolis. 
 
"We played at a very consistent level tonight," said Navy head coach Paco Labrador.
 
Navy quickly jumped out to a 5-1 lead at the start of the first set to take early control of the opening frame.  The Mids outhit the Patriots .367-.030 in winning the set.
 
The second set saw the Mids turn a slim 9-7 lead in a 17-8 cushion.  George Mason had its best hitting set of the night as it posted a mark of .310, but Navy improved its own hitting from the first set to .452.
 
Navy again separated from George Mason early in the final stanza as the Mids increased their lead from 6-4 to 14-6.  The Mids held a .484-.097 advantage over the Patriots in hitting in the final set.
 
"Our passers maintained excellent focus tonight," said Labrador.  "I also am really happy with our bench.  All of the subs did a great job when they were given their chance.  Our team depth is certainly a strength."
 
Navy's offense totaled a .435 hitting percentage on the night thanks to 46 kills and just six errors on 92 swings.  Defensively, the Mids limited George Mason to a mark of .140 (27-14-93).
 
Maddi Sgattoni (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) knocked down 13 kills on 26 swings for a .462 hitting night on the wing, with Katie Patrick (Sr., Aurora, Colo.) adding 10 kills on 14 attempts for a .643 attack percentage.  Both players committed just one attack error on their combined 40 attempts.  Additionally, middle hitter Sarena Seelbach (Jr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) posted seven kills on eight swings without an attack error and Kelsey Kingsland (Sr., Blackwell, Mo.) added six kills on 12 swings.
 
Strong hitting starts with good passing and the Mids had that tonight.  Darby Minton (Sr., Chino Hills, Calif.) totaled nine digs for the Mids, Sgattoni snared eight and both Kimberly Lynch (Murrietta, Calif.) and Sydney Shearn (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) grabbed four digs.
 
Pacing the Navy passers was setter Patricia Mattingly (Sr., New Albany, Pa.), who tallied a team-high 10 digs to go along with her 27 assists.  Helping set the hitters after many of Mattingly's sprawling defensive efforts was Shearn (five assists), and when Mattingly briefly went to the bench in sets one and two Paige Miles (Jr., Oklahoma City, Okla.) entered the court in and dished out seven assists.
 
Navy now heads to a tournament at Rutgers this weekend where the Mids will face both Tulane and Howard on Friday and the tournament host on Saturday.