Box Score

Postgame interview (with Natalia Skiba and Ken Nichols)

BOSTON - The Northeastern women's volleyball team extended its home winning streak to 15 games on Friday night, sweeping George Mason 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 26-24) in a back-and-forth slugfest at Solomon Court. The Huskies are tied with Towson in first place in the Colonial Athletic Association standings and the only squad with four league wins thus far.

NU (15-3, 4-0 CAA) was led by junior Kelly Bacon's 10 kills in the match. Sophomore Jillian Briner had a team-high 20 assists to go along with eight kills and six digs and junior Ina Kamenova surpassed the 400-assist mark on the season with 14 helpers on the night. Sophomore Natalia Skiba once again led Northeastern in digs with 20. The Westmont, Ill., native has anchored Northeastern's digging efforts 17-of-18 outings this year.

The Patriots (3-13, 1-2 CAA) had a team-high 18 kills from Lana Zonjic and a double-double from Tori Price with 32 assists and 11 digs. Mason was aided defensively by getting ten digs from Laura Spencer, and the Patriots racked up nine team blocks.

In the opening set, the Huskies claimed an 11-6 lead built by seven Patriot errors, before the visitors regrouped to tie the set 12-12. Northeastern took the next point and held on to the lead for the rest of the set, but never by more than three points, taking the first frame 25-22.

Bacon had a team-high six kills in the first set, including three of NU's final five points. Briner handled most of the setting duties in the frame, with seven assists, and Skiba led the Huskies with six digs. Zonjic paced the Patriots with four kills, while Price had all nine of George Mason's first set assists.

The second set started out back and forth, with neither squad able to pull away from the other. The teams found themselves tied for the seventh time in the set at 15-15, and tied once again at 21-21 and 22-22. The Huskies were able to close out the set on kills from Briner, Kamenova and Briner, winning 25-23.

Northeastern's offense in the second set was led by Bacon and Briner's four kills apiece. Skiba had ten digs in the set, while Kamenova added six digs and five assists. Zonjic led George Mason with seven second-set kills, and Price had 12 assists and seven digs in the frame.

The third set saw the Patriots determined to extend the game, as they took a five-point lead at 14-9. Mason carried its lead down the stretch and nearly won its first set of the match, but a three-point rally with kills from Bishop and junior Hanna Gibeau tied the third stanza up at 24-24. Bernetta Moore's ball handling error put NU on the brink of victory and Bishop sealed the deal with a smash down the middle to post Northeastern's eight three-set sweep of the season.

The Huskies were led in the final frame by Bishop, who had seven kills in the set. Briner added seven assists, and Kamenova had five of her own, while Skiba contributed four digs. Zonjic had seven kills to lead Mason, and Price added 11 more assists.

Northeastern welcomes in James Madison on Sunday, Oct. 7, to cap the successful homestand. The Huskies eight-game home stretch concludes this weekend before traveling to Hofstra for a single-match weekend on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in Hempstead, N.Y.

Connect with Northeastern athletics and Northeastern volleyball on Facebook and Twitter to receive scores and information, interact with fellow fans, access photos and videos, and receive exclusive promotional and ticket offers.

Northeastern Athletics: @GoNUathletics | facebook.com/GoNUathletics
Northeastern Volleyball: @GoNUwvolleyball | facebook.com/GoNUvolleyball