HARROGATE, Tenn. –Although the Royals were unable to continue their run, the Queens volleyball (5-17, 2-12 SAC) team rallied after conceding the first two sets to force a deciding Set 5 on Saturday, October 18, 2014, against Lincoln Memorial (13-9, 9-5 SAC) who took the victory 25-14, 25-16, 23-25, 21-25, 15-6.

Sydney Kunz found another double-double performance (sixth of the year) as she grabbed 46 assists and 10 digs during the five set match.  The freshman would also seize five kills and two aces to contribute to her game in addition to a .400 hitting percentage. Katie Schoenrock would have a career high of 19 digs in the match soaring past her previous record of 11. She would add nine kills, an ace, and two assists (both to Kunz).  Elizabeth Bialkowski would take an attacking percentage .440 for the match grabbing 13 kills following behind Meredith Jones with 15 kills, hitting for .286 for the match. Alex Thompson would also set a career high with three unreturnable serves.

Errors would be the difference in the match as Queens took 31 compared to the Railsplitters 11. Lincoln Memorial would hit a .317 as a team with 56 kills. They would grab nine aces, nine total blocks, and 71 digs. The Royals would hold a .169 attacking percentage for the match with 59 kills. They would add nine aces, 64 digs, but only one block.

Lincoln Memorial would be led by Kiera Holland who found 15 kills in the match to compliment two aces and a block. Jazzy Oates and Brooke Fleeman each tallied 12 kills and four blocks. Oates would also have an ace.  Abby Cash would lead the team in assists with 46 as Casey Mense scooped up 22 digs.

Queens would start off Saturday's match seizing the first three points as Cochran and Jones each took hold of a kill. Queens and Lincoln Memorial would clench tying points as the two moved through a 7-7 game. It would be the Railsplitters who would take off into a 12-8 lead, taking two aces and three kills on the 4-1 run. After a Queens' timeout, Kunz would put a stop to the Lincoln Memorial rally, setting the team up for a 4-2 Royals run to see a 14-12 Railsplitters lead and timeout. Unable to stop the attack, the Railsplitters would take eight kills accompanied by two aces to close out Set 1, 25-14.

Set 2 would start on an equal footing as the teams met through a 3-3 game, with the Royals seeing kills from Schoenrock, Bialkowski, and Jones. Holland would lead the Railsplitters into a 7-3 lead before Queens would be able to close the gap. Schoenrock would have the opportunity to assist her setter as Kunz powered one over the net (7-5 Lincoln Memorial). However, Queens would again fall behind as the Railsplitters would find an 11-5 lead. Rebecca Cochran and Bialkowski, respectfully, would add points to the Royals side bring them team back to a 12-7 deficit, but an error partnered with an attacking spree from Brooke Fleeman would force Queens to call a 15-7 timeout. A string of mishaps from the Royals would leave the team facing a 20-9 game, however the squad would battle back to a 7-4 Royals run with kills flying off the Queens side. With the run coming a bit too late, the Royals would run out of space as an error gave Lincoln Memorial the set 25-16.

It would again be an equal start as the teams met through the 4-4 game before errors would  befall the Queens side to help give the Railsplitters a 7-4 lead. The Royals would continue to hang within striking distance with help from Cochran who had back-to-back kills (9-7) and Bialkowski (11-9). Schoenrock and Thompson would both pull the Royals into a one point game as they found the Railsplitters floor at 12-11 Lincoln Memorial. Thompson would have the tying point for the Royals as the pushed into a 15-15 game. Queens would continue to hang in Lincoln Memorial's shadow before Thompson again would empower the Royals with two back-to-back aces for the lead (18-17). Cochran and Jones grabbed complimenting points for the Royals backing the Railsplitters into a 21-19 timeout with the Royals keeping a tight grasp on the game. Queens would soon hold a 23-19 lead with Cochran finding her second ace of the match. Two Royals errors would keep the Railsplitters alive, but Bialkowski would bring round set point with a resounding shot. It would again be two errors from the Royals side that brought Lincoln Memorial within one (24-23) but Thompson would soar one through the Railsplitters defense for the set, 25-23.

Lincoln Memorial would open up Set 4 taking a 6-2 lead, as four unanswered points led to a Queens' timeout. The Railsplitters would find two more points coming out of the timeout to extend through at 8-2 lead, before an error would give the Royals the ball. Queens would lead a tying run to meet the Railsplitters at 13-13 as Schoenrock, Bialkowski, and Jones each took a pair of kills. The Royals would continue to apply pressure eventually overtaking Lincoln Memorial 16-14. Queens would fight to keep the lead, receiving help from Cochran and Kunz on the attacking side and an ace from Thompson (23-19). Bialkowski would put a nail in the set to take a 25-21 Royals victory and bring the match into Set 5.

The Railsplitters would take the opening of Set 5 with a 6-2 run. Queens would fight back to bring the game within three as Mancini grabbed a kill (8-5) but the Queens momentum would be unable to carry them through the match. Cochran would have two kills but errors would give the match to the Railsplitters (15-6).

Queens will host Coker College (4-17, 1-13 SAC) on Tuesday, October 21, at the Levine Center.