MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte Volleyball Team is second in the league and first in their division after picking up a 3-2 win this evening against Mount Olive College. Queens is now 3-0 in Conference Carolinas at 8-4 overall, while the Trojans drop to 1-4 in the league and 4-8 on the season.

It appeared that the Royals would run away with the match as a 15-4 run in the first set turned a one-point margin into a double-digit advantage for the visitors. Queens collected 13 kills and only three errors for a .455 hitting percentage in route to their 25-13 win.

Set two was closer than the first as Mount Olive rallied from an early four-point deficit to take a 10-8 lead in the second set. With the score tied at 14-14, Tori Hernandez (Gainesville, Fla., Gainesvillle) spiked a ball that returned the serve to Queens. With Erin Mooney (Bradenton, Fla., Cardinal Mooney) at the serve, the Royals pushed four points placing some distance between them and the home team. Mount Olive came back closing the gap to three before Queens was able to pick up the next three points closing the set and taking the 2-0 lead.

Mount Olive used a 10-1 run in the third set as back-to-back kills by Keri Nolan gave the Trojans a 16-8 lead. Queens scored the next five points, the last two on double blocks by Brittany Harvey (Matthews, N.C., Sun Valley ) and Lindsey Everhart (Cincinnati, Ohio, McNicholls). The Royals came back to tie the set 21-21, but Talita Rocha's kill broke the tie and Destiny Ma'ave Kueva served an ace on set point as Mount Olive scored the final four points of the set.

A pair of kills and an ace by Conner helped Mount Olive jump out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set, but the Trojans would have to stave off a series of comebacks by Queens. After Rocha's kill gave Mount Olive a 12-7 lead, Everhart's kill capped a five-point run for Queens to tie the set. Ma'ave-Kuewa's second ace of the match highlighted a run of six unanswered points to give the Trojans their biggest lead of the set at 18-12, but Queens rallied to tie the set 23-23. The Royals fought off two Trojan set points before Conner's kill and a Queens attack error enabled Mount Olive to tie the match and force a fifth set.

Queens scored the opening point of the fifth set on Avery Moore's (Arlington, Texas, Lamar) ace and the Royals built the lead to 11-7. Kills by White and Conner cut the margin in half, but that was as close as Mount Olive would get. Harvey and Everhart combined on a block on match point to end the Trojans' comeback.

Keri Kemp (Lake Mary, Fla., Lake Mary) led all players with 18 kills. Harvey had a match-high nine blocks for Queens, which scored 14 points off of blocks. Moore, one of two Royals setters, finished with 25 assists to go with 15 digs and a match-high four aces. Jocelyn Kellinger (Roanoke, Va., Cave Spring) led all players with 17 digs. Kemp was the only Queens player in double figures, but four other Royals had at least seven kills.

Lee and Nicole Sparks recorded 11 digs apiece for Mount Olive, while Ma'ave-Kuewa added 10 digs. Laura Vega tallied a season-high 42 assists and came within two digs of giving the Trojans a fifth player in double figures. White had a team-high five blocks to go with two aces. Rocha added four blocks.

The Royals' stop in Mount Olive, N.C., is the first on their two game road trip. Tomorrow they will face Barton College in Wilson, N.C., at 2 p.m.