(Davon Marion / Fourth Estate)
Hamilton, Colter and Thompson each earn A-10 honors after a historic season for Mason
BY PETER MAHLER, STAFF WRITER
Seven years after their last A-10 Championship appearance, Mason women’s volleyball is finally back — and they’re doing it as one of the best teams in the conference. The fifth-seeded Patriots will travel to Richmond to face fourth-seeded VCU in the first round of the conference tournament on Friday, Nov. 21.
Mason’s 17-12 record is the best they’ve had under fourth-year Head Coach Megan Shifflett Bachmann, but it’s also the program’s best record in 15 years.
From the start of the season, Shifflett Bachmann could sense there was something different about this group of girls. “There was just a lightness about them,” she said. “And they just had fun at practice.”
The Patriots owe their sudden success to the new faces on the team, boasting freshmen talent with the likes of outside hitters Kiera Hamilton and Nia Thompson, setter Ava Cheney, middle blocker Mia Hazelett and libero Alexa Stutzman.
Hamilton delivered a sensational first season for the Patriots, winning A-10 Rookie of the Year and receiving a First Team All-Conference selection.
Her 326 kills led the team, standing as the eighth most in the entire conference. Impressively so, she did this while missing the team’s final five games due to injury, indicating her production could have been even greater had she stayed healthy.
She attributes her success to the support of her teammates and coaches, showering nothing but praise on those around her.
“Getting to play with such a good group of girls has meant the world to me,” Hamilton said. “The result of our season … shows just how much love we have for each other.”
In addition to her Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference awards, Hamilton was awarded an All-Rookie team selection. Her teammate, Nia Thompson, made the team as well after having an excellent debut season of her own.
Thompson was part of a youth movement in scoring for the up-and-coming Patriots. Her 235 kills put her in second on the team leaderboard, trailing only Hamilton.
(Davon Marion / Fourth Estate)
On the other end, scoring on the Patriots was challenging. Their 1,263 kills allowed rank as the fewest in the conference, with middle blockers junior Chelsea Colter and sophomore Meredith Brown combining for 39 of the team’s 63 solo blocks.
Libero Autumn Martinez-Robinson’s 468 digs led all A-10 players, making her a top defensive specialist for the Patriots.
Coach Shifflett Bachmann, who played for Penn State from 2008-2010, credits her own experience as a defensive specialist. She attributed her skill set as a player to be an influence on her coaching, helping foster a “gritty mindset” to her team’s defense.
She added that defensive success is all about effort. She said serving, blocking and defending are all “intertwined” and dependent on how hard her players are working.
Having been on the team the last three years, Colter takes pride in her efforts in redefining the Mason women’s volleyball program.
“Being able to put in the work alongside 18 other talented women — to build this program to where it is now — has honestly been such a blessing,” she said.
Colter provided tremendous support on offense, leading the Patriots with a .303 hitting percentage. She was awarded an A-10 Second Team All-Conference selection, recognizing her all-around play.
Defense wasn’t the only strength for these Patriots. No other team in the conference served the ball better than Mason, as they led the A-10 with 203 aces.
Two Patriots cracked the top ten in the A-10 for service aces. Martinez-Robinson led all players with 65 while her teammate, Hazelett, notched 40 of her own, placing her in seventh.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Mason. After a sizzling 14-5 start, the team slumped during their conference schedule, losing seven out of their last ten matches.
They also allowed the second most service aces with 204, and their 667 errors led all teams in the A10, presenting the team with major issues during their slump. Still, the team endured this without several key players in their lineup.
The short-handed Patriots were without Hamilton for five games, and lost Colter after sustaining a season-ending knee injury during the team’s 3-1 Fordham victory on Nov. 8.
Colter understands she can no longer support her team on the court, but remains a valuable leader to her teammates, even from the sidelines.
“I think the most important thing is always being in their ear, supporting them and continuing to be someone they can lean on,” she said.
Colter prides herself in her ability to resonate with her teammates through her voice, even while limited.
“If I have learned one thing, my voice is the strongest powerhouse whether I’m on or off the court,” she said. “Just know [that] you will never catch me being quiet.”
As they prepare for VCU, Mason’s players remain unified.
“We’ve had to get through some tough weeks, but it’s been together,” Hamilton said.
Shifflett Bachmann has promoted a “next man up” attitude, challenging players to step up when needed.
Heading into their matchup against VCU, their margin for error is razor thin.
Sitting at 14-12 and 12-6 vs. A-10 opponents, VCU split their two matches against Mason, with each team winning 3-1 in those contests.
For Shifflett Bachmann, whatever happened in those previous matchups is irrelevant; what really matters is making new adjustments and adapting to whatever lineup is presented to her team at that given moment.
Both teams are two of only four in the conference to hold their opponents under a .200 hitting percentage, reflecting just how stout both defenses have been.
Addressing the challenge the Rams defense poses, Shifflett Bachmann noted the importance of “interconnectivity” between all phases of the game — whether that involves good serves putting pressure on the other team, or aggressive blocks exposing weaknesses and areas to exploit.
“Our mindset is to be scrappy and to work hard,” Hamilton said, discussing what it will take to beat the Rams.
“A question that’s been asked throughout our team is ‘what is this all for if we don’t go all out [in] these last couple of weeks?’” Colter said.
Regardless of what happens this Friday at the Siegel Center, the Patriots take pride in their unity during a thrilling and historic season for Mason volleyball. Students can watch the team on ESPN+ at 1 p.m.