CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Playing against a nationally ranked opponent for the first time in the program's young history, the Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team hung tight with No. 13 Purdue Fort Wayne before falling 3-0 (25-18. 25-14, 25-17) inside Curry Arena on Saturday night.
 
The Mastodons (4-0), ranked in the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll for the 292^nd straight week, hit .393 as a team behind 12 kills and a .500 mark from junior All-American Pelegrin Vargas.
 
Queens (0-3) used its defensive strength to forced Purdue Fort Wayne to swing 81 total times, their third highest total thus far, and racked up 32 total digs. Sophomore libero Ruben Greenstein led the defense with 13 digs, while fellow sophomore Tristan Santoyo had a team-high nine kills to go along with six digs.
 
The two sides traded points early in the opening set with the score tied at 7-all before the 'Dons gained an advantage with a 7-1 run. With Purdue Fort Wayne ahead by bye eight points, the Royals used visitor errors and a Nic Cavallaro error to claw back into the mix.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne sealed the first set win and carried momentum into the second set, beginning the second frame with a 5-1 run to gain the early edge. Queens was unable to climb back from the deficit as the 'Dons built a 2-0 lead.
 
The Royals began the third set of play with a different lineup, leading to an early 8-7 lead. However, a 9-1 run helped Purdue Fort Wayne control the set by a seven-point margin. Queens' freshman Jordan Haigh record two kills and a service ace to help the Navy and Gold close the gap before the Mastodons scored three of the final four points to earn the road win.
 
Cavallaro finished with seven kills on offense, while graduate transfer Alexander Schinzing tallied 20 assists. Sophomore middle Cody Nix continued his strong play at the net, totaling four total blocks.
 
Queens continues its five-game homestand on Wednesday, January 16 when it hosts King University (Tenn.) at 7 p.m.