CHARLESTON, W. VA. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team was swept 3-0 (26-24, 25-21 25-22) by the University of Charleston (W. Va.) on Saturday night in the fifth match of a nine-match road trip.
 
The Golden Eagles, members of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, improved to 4-1 overall after hitting .224 in the match and forcing Queens (1-8) to hit below the .200 mark. The Royals defense remained a strong point for the team, collecting 49 digs and seven total blocks.
 
Charleston held an early 5-2 lead before three consecutive points by the Royals evened the score at 5-all. Queens trailed by as much as a six-point margin late in the frame but battled back to a 22-1 deficit before the Golden Eagles secured the set victory with extra points.
 
Queens held a brief lead in the second set before falling behind by two sets, as Charleston controlled the third and final set to earn a win on its home floor.
 
Graduate transfer Jake Dube led the Royals with nine kills and a .409 hitting percentage, to go along with eight digs, while freshman Tristan Santoyo also had nine kills and seven digs of his own.
 
Freshman Aleksandar Perisic followed with five kills and three total blocks, as junior Marco Vecellio chipped in five kills and nine digs on defense. Libero Conner Nagaki registered a season-high 16 digs from the back row to lead all players.
 
The Royals' road trip continues next Thursday, February 8, when the team takes on Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. at 7 p.m.