BANNER ELK, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team used four sets and extra points, but picked up its second win of the season with a 3-1 (27-25, 22-25, 29-27, 29-27) victory over Lees-McRae College on Thursday night.
 
The Royals' (2-8) offense got back on track, hitting over the .200 mark for just the third time this season, while the defense remained a strong point in holding Lees-McRae (2-8) to a .189 hitting mark and collecting eight total blocks.
 
The match began with a kill from Queens freshman Aleksandar Perisic but the Bobcats quickly gained control and built a 12-7 lead. Queens continued to cut into the deficit and eventually took a one-point lead at 19-18 but the Bobcats retook the lead at 20-19 with back-to-back points.
 
Queens and Lees-McRae traded points late in the frame, but three straight kills from Marco Vecellio, Jake Dube and Donovan Bethel helped the Royals complete the comeback.  Lees-McRae was in control from start to finish in the second set, tying the match at one set apiece with the win.
 
The Bobcats remained in control throughout the early portion of the third set of action, leading 9-6 before Queens rattled of six unanswered points to build a 12-9 advantage. From that point, Queens remained relatively in control until the Bobcats tied the score at 24-all and tallied a 25-24 lead on a Queens attack error.
 
The Royals battled back to earn a win with extra points once again, ended the frame on back-to-back kills from Perisic and Jack Mitchner to take a 2-1 match lead.
 
In the fourth set, the two sides played to five ties early on before a 6-1 run put the Royals ahead 13-8. The Bobcats responded with a run of their own and eventually took an 18-17 lead following a Queens attack error.
 
Lees-McRae extended its lead to a three-point advantage with set point on the line, but the Royals rallied to tie frame at 24-all and force extra points. Each team traded points until a kill from Dube and a Lees-McRae attack error ended the match with Queens in front.
 
Dube and Vecellio finished with 10 kills apiece and tallied six and seven digs, respectively. Perisic finished with six kills and four total blocks, while Bethel registered six kills of his own with a .385 hitting percentage. Freshman Conner Nagaki led all players with 15 digs on defense to remain the NCAA leader in digs per set.
 
The Royals remain on the road as they travel to Due West, S.C. to take on Erskine College on Saturday, February 10, at 1 p.m.