CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The 2019 Queens Fall Classic opened on Friday with mixed results for the women's volleyball team as the Royals split a pair of games on day one of the weekend. Queens collected a lopsided 3-0 victory over Converse College in the season opener before falling 3-1 to Lander University in the final match of the day.
 
Queens 3, Converse 0 (25-17, 25-9, 25-15)
 
The Royals opened the 2019 season in strong fashion, hitting .265 as a team in a straight set victory over the Valkyries. Defensive, Queens held Converse to a .019 performance and tallied eight service aces as a team.
 
Following the opening set of action, Queens cruised to a 16-point in the second frame by outhitting Converse .433 to -.071 and carried momentum throughout the third and final set of play.
 
Freshman Anna McLain and junior Casey Tarvin each finished with eight kills and five digs, while juniors Chanel Turner and Logan Witt followed with seven kills apiece. Redshirt-sophomore Gabbi Montgomery provided a spark off of the bench, totaling five kills and a .357 hitting mark in the middle.
 
Senior setter Mallory Swarts notched a double-double with 29 assists and 13 digs, as junior libero JayCee Jones finished with a match-high 19 digs. Jones, Swarts and sophomore Brooke Farley each had two service aces.
 
Lander 3, Queens 1 (12-25, 25-20, 25-23, 26-24)
 
Queens' second contest of the day proved to be a true back-and-forth affair after a one-sided first set of play. The Royals opened the match by holding the Bearcats to a -.250 hitting performance in the opening frame before LU turned the tide and took advantage of unforced errors late in the ensuing sets.
 
Lander built an early lead in the second set as Queens battled back to take the lead at 6-5 following a kill from Montgomery. The two sides remained close until a 5-0 run midway through the set opened the lead for Lander that it never gave up.
 
The third and fourth sets were decided by just four total points as the Royals fought back from deficits late in each frame to tie the score but were unable to seal the win on their home court.
 
Witt led all players with 12 kills in the match and hit .571 from her middle position as McLain followed with 10 kills and four total blocks. Swarts guided the offense with 31 assists to go along with eight digs and two more service aces, while Jones collected 23 digs from the back row.
 
The Royals continue tournament play tomorrow when they take on Barton College and Augusta University in a pair of games beginning at 12:15 p.m. in the Levine Center.