CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte secured its second straight conference, sixth overall, victory Friday evening at the Lucky Dog Tournament held at Pfeiffer University. Facing off against tournament-host Pfeiffer, the Royals battled back from a 2-1-set deficit to win 15-13 in the fifth set. The win snaps a nine-match losing streak against the Falcons that dates back to 2005.

After winning the first set 25-10, the Royals dropped the subsequent sets 25-17 and 25-21. Racing off to a 20-15 lead in the fourth set, the Royals stumbled as the Falcons rallied to tie the game at 23. Appearing to be on the verge of defeat for the first time in their early 2010 campaign, freshman Ashlyn Dibrell (Arlington, Texas, Lamar) killed a set from Avery Moore (Arlington, Texas, Lamar) to put the Royals back ahead. Leading 24-23, the Royals applied intense defensive pressure to force an attack error by Pfieffer's Kim Amerell to take the set and tie the match at two sets apiece.

“Our defensive intensity made the difference today,” said head coach Angela McGuire. “Everyone was active, scraping up digs and moving the ball quickly.”

The Royals jumped out to an early lead in the fifth set and held on for a 15-12 victory. Shuffling players in and out throughout the match (11 players participated in two or more games) the Royals were able to stay fresh and outlast the Falcons.

“Today's win was a complete team effort. Everyone was involved and played to their strengths. This is the type of game that really shows our versatility.”

The Royals attack came from all angles, as four Royals tallied eight-plus kills. Taylor Riley (Lynchburg, Va., E.C. Glass) was heavily involved in the Royals offensive output, pitching in five kills with a game-high .417 hitting percentage and a game-high 21 assists. Moore also helped direct traffic for the Royals, assisting on 16 of the team's 49 kills.

The Royals showed their grit on the defensive end as well. Led by Sarah Malpass (Gainesville, Fla., Gainesville) (18), Dibrell (12), and Riley (10), the Royals were aggressive on the perimeter, accumulating 70 digs on the day.

The Royals return to the court tomorrow at noon and 2:30 for back-to-back matches against Montreat College and North Greenville University to round out their weekend.