After sophomore outside hitter Nick Madden nearly flew into the stands to preserve a rally that resulted in the Crimson grabbing a one-point lead late in the third set, both the Harvard men’s volleyball team and its fans believed that the Crimson could overcome a two-game deficit and win its conference opener against George Mason.

But Harvard (5-1, 0-1 EIVA) did not capitalize on late opportunities in the decisive third game, and the Patriots left the Malkin Athletic Center on Friday night with a 3-0 win over the previously undefeated Crimson.

Harvard’s offensive rhythm was disrupted all night by the strong service and blocking of George Mason. The Patriots severely limited Crimson outside hitters Madden and co-captain Matt Jones. Jones, who recorded 22 kills with a .500 kill percentage in Harvard’s impressive mid-week win against Cal Baptist, was limited to 11 kills and a .160 kill percentage by George Mason.

“We were just not hitting as high a percentage as we would have liked to,” sophomore libero Chris Gibbons said. “They were getting a lot of blocks, passing well, and getting a lot of digs on our hits. When they’re playing a lot better like that and we’re not stepping up to the call, they are going to win every time.”

Although the game was played on Harvard’s home court, it was the visitors who got off to a hot start behind a boisterous sideline and traveling fan support.  While the Crimson’s pre-game routine was reserved and controlled, the Patriots danced and yelled as the starters were announced.

And seeming to feed off that energy, George Mason stormed out to 7-1 lead behind three kills from junior outside hitter Andrew Dentler, forcing Harvard coach Brian Baise to call a timeout.

“They serve tough and got us out of rhythm,” Baise said. “Our pass was a little off, and then they backed it up with some really good blocking, so it was tough for us to score points.”

The Crimson might have been unnerved by the Patriots’ sideline, which frequently yelled as Harvard players began to serve and did pushups after some George Mason kills.

Harvard refocused out of the timeout, and the Crimson was able to bring itself within one, 14-13. Another Patriot run made it 18-13, but a series of net violations by George Mason kept Harvard in the game.

But the two teams traded points until the end of the first set and the Patriots grabbed the 1-0 lead with 25-21 victory,

The second frame featured the two teams trading points and runs for much of the set. The Crimson maintained a slight lead for much of the set, but the momentum changed as George Mason’s Mark Jones recorded a kill and block to take help the Patriots grab a 19-17 lead.

Baise called a timeout to regroup, but another Dentler-fueled run from the visitors gave them the second game, 25-21.

With its back against the wall, Harvard found itself down 10-6 early in the third set. But the Crimson clawed its way back, and a service ace by freshman Caleb Zimmick brought the game even at 18-18.

From that point forward, the teams went back and forth, as both sidelines started to make their voices heard.

Kills from Jones and sophomore Will Chambers gave Harvard narrow advantages, but George Mason was there to respond with a kill of its own.

And after a deflected block sent the ball towards the stands, Madden saved the point by sending it to freshman DJ White, who knocked the ball over the net. Moments later the Crimson gained a narrow 22-21 lead as Jones’s spike went out of bounds.

But George Mason responded with a short run to grab match point, 24-23, causing Baise to call another timeout.

And after a kill by White tied it up at 24, George Mason called a timeout of its own, its first of the game. It proved to be a prudent move, as the Patriots scored two straight to take the match without dropping a set.

“We had some opportunities in the third game that we didn’t take advantage of and had to at this point in the season,” Baise said. “If we get a win in that third game, it’s a completely different match…but we couldn’t quite do it.”

—Staff writer Peter G. Cornick can be reached at pcornick@college.harvard.edu.