GAFFNEY, S.C. – In the first match of a nine-match road trip, the Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-22) to Limestone College.
 
The win was the first of the season for the Saints (1-5) as they hit just .168 in the contest but were able to collect nine total service aces. The Royals (1-4) suffered their third straight loss after registering a .165 hitting mark and totaling 10 blocks at the net.
 
The first set of play was a tightly contested affair before a brief 3-0 run for Limestone put the hosts up 13-0. The Saints' lead extended to a six-point advantage just moments later leading to a set win.
 
In the second set, the lead changed hands twice in the early going and the two sides played to 11 total ties with the final ties coming at 15-all. From there, Limestone used four unanswered points to take the lead for good and go ahead 2-0 in the match.
 
Queens responded with a 5-2 run to open the third frame, thanks in large part to three consecutive Limestone attack errors. The Royals continued to take advantage of the Limestone miscues, holding an 8-5 advantage before the Saints rallied to tie the score at 10-all.
 
Limestone was able to build momentum and get out to a five-point lead at 19-14, before Queens cut the lead to a one-point margin at 23-22 following a Donovan Bethel kill and a Limestone attack error. The match ended with a Limestone kill as the Queens rally fell just short.
 
Freshman middle Aleksandar Perisic led the Royals with nine kills and a .727 hitting percentage to go along with seven total blocks. Fellow freshman Nic Cavallaro followed with seven kills, while Jack Mtichner had 26 assists and Conner Nagaki led all players with 15 digs.
 
The Royals head to Pennsylvania next weekend to take on Saint Francis University in a Friday night match and NCAA Division III power Juniata College on Saturday.