Box Score Charlotte, N.C.- Queens University of Charlotte volleyball (6-17, 3-12 SAC) came prepared during their match against the Coker College Cobras (4-18, 1-14 SAC), battling the team through four sets before grabbing a 3-1 Queens victory on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. On a night that saw several personal Royals records broken, Queens united as a squad to overcome the Cobras 25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16.
Katie Schoenrock would have a double-double for the match with a record breaking performance. Setting a new career high of 14 kills, Schoenrock would add 12 digs and four aces, another career record, to her night. She would also take four blocks for the Royals.
Elizabeth Bialkowski tied her season high of 16 kills as she was unstoppable around the net. Bialkowski hit a .357 in addition to taking seven Royals blocks.
Rebecca Cochran hit double digits for the seventh time this season with 11 kills but more impressively, Cochran would take two more service aces to move her total to 36 for the season. Not to be out done,
Megan Mancini would get in on the action diving through 28 digs to grab a personal best. She would also have an ace and three assist.
The Royals would gather a hitting percentage of .239 for the match taking 62 kills, the second highest as a team this season (the first coming against Anderson with 72 kills). Even more impressive, the squad would set two season records on the defensive side of the ball tallying 70 digs and 12 total blocks for most in either category for a single game. Queens would keep Coker to only 30 kills for the match and hitting only .074. The Cobras would have three aces and 59 digs for the night to compliment the teams four total blocks.
Christen Bragg would give the Cobras a double-double as she assisted in 22 points while taking 14 diving saves to the ground. Madison Bingle would lead the Cobras with nine kills as teammate Megan Hardy would tally seven. Hardy would also deliver an ace and block to Coker.
Bialkowski would start off the evening with a rippling kill, taking hold of the first point of the set. However, the Royals would soon call timeout to shake off some early match mishaps that caused a 4-1 Cobra lead. With the drive to a 6-6 game, Queens would emerge with momentum and a 13-8 hold with help from a Cochran ace and kills from Bialkowski,
Meredith Jones, and
Liza Schimmelfing. The Royals would continue to push out into an 18-11 lead before Coker could grab a string of points (18-13) with Alexis Berles and Brooke Closset finding kills, respectfully. Points from Schoenrock and Cochran would have the Cobras calling timeout in hopes of refocusing and stopping a 20-14 Royals lead. Unable to put an end to the Queens run, the Royals would cap of Set 1 with
Sydney Kunz serving one to the Coker floor, 25-16.
A slow start for the Royals would again give Coker four quick points forcing a long recovery for Queens. The Royals would be forced to use their first timeout at 10-6 after a Coker ace and block however, the Cobras were far from finished launching out into a 17-7 lead with help from a few Royals errors. Finally able to shake off the mistakes, Cochran fire one across the net to send Queens on a 5-0 run. Cochran would tally two more kills on that run to add to Mancini's ace. Coker would call timeout but the Royals would be able to maintain composure with
Alex Thompson taking two kills to bring the Queens within one. Eventually finding a 20-20 tie, the two teams would battle through the remaining points before Coker could find the 25-23 victory.
Although the first two sets were marked with early runs, Set 3 saw eight tying points as it sat at a 10-10 game. Schoenrock and Cochran would break the team free as Queens found a 6-2 run and a Coker timeout. Continuing to pull away, Schoenrock and Bialkowski would each take kills to see the Royals with a six point lead (20-14). As the team neared the end of the set, miscues would befall the Royals side allowing the Cobras to bring the game within one (24-23). Even with pressure and momentum coming from the Coker side, Schoenrock found a way to bury the ball and give Queens a 2-1 for the match (25-23).
The tables would turn for Set 4, as it was Queens who found an early set run taking a 3-1 lead with Bialkowski taking a pair of kills. Although the set would meet at 4-4, Queens would again find comfort with a 14-6 lead with Cochran holding two kills and Schoenrock with back-to-back service aces. With the run not over, Cochran, Bialkowski, and Schoenrock would each find the Coker floor as Queens put eleven points in between themselves and the Cobras (18-7). Bingle would provide a halt to the Queens attack with a pair of kills aiding her team on a 6-2 run (20-14). Unshaken, Thompson would provide help as she drove two to the floor as the Royals capped the match with a 25-16 win.
Queens will have the home court advantage this Friday, October 24, as the squad hosts Tusculum (10-13, 9-6 SAC) at 7 pm.
