AIKEN, S.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte volleyball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Championships for the first time in program history on Friday, December 02, 2016. The Royals came from behind trailing by two sets to Wingate before making a run, grabbing the last three sets for a 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-10 score.
 
Meredith Jones tallied 20 kills in the match to lead both teams in kills. Alex Thompson followed with nine kills and an additional four blocks for the team top in the category. Sydney Kunz tabbed 38 assists while Megan Mancini added 30 digs to her season total.
 
Oakley Attaway tallied 16 kills for the Bulldogs while Abby Saehler grabbed 11 kills. Rachel Alles led the team in assists with 36 while Treslyn Oritz led the team in digs with 34.
 
Although Wingate took an early lead in the opening set with a 6-3 score, Queens battled back to take control of the set at 9-8. The Royals extended the lead to 15-11 with Thompson landing a hit on the Bulldog's floor. However, a five point run gave Wingate the lead at 16-15. The teams swapped points but the Bulldogs pushed ahead to claim the set with a two point gap.
 
A 4-1 score put Queens in the lead, in set two, but Wingate rallied to come back within one at 4-3. Five unanswered by the Royals put the team ahead 9-3 allowing Queens to hold control of the set for the next few points. With a long build, Wingate eventually tied the game at 15-15. A six point run gave the Bulldogs the set and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Set three opened with both teams echoing points as the game sat even through a 10-10 score. Wingate found the first run, going up by three, 13-10. The Bulldogs would hold onto the lead until a pair of errors allowed Queens to equal the set at 16-16. Two back-to-back kills by Thompson late in the game moved Queens ahead 23-19. Jones found the set-point off a pass from Taylor Henry.
 
Despite both teams finding strings of points in the opening of set four, Queens found a narrow lead pushing ahead at 10-7.  Wingate was there to answer with another run to move the set in their favor at 11-10, but the Royals would not fall so easily as the rallied to pull the game back in their control at 16-13. A six point run aided by three blocks, 22-15, gave the Royals enough space to claim the set.
 
With all the focus on the deciding set, Queens was forced to use a timeout after the Bulldogs jumped out to a 4-1 score. Queens responded with six unanswered points as Jones took five kills in a row to switch moment, 7-4. Wingate slowly added points but Queens tallied the win off a kill from Kunz.

Queens will face Flagler in the second round of the NCAA Championships on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.