MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – For the second straight match, the Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball went the distance before falling in five sets by a 3-2 (20-25, 25-21, 27-25, 21-25, 15-10) score on the road to the University of Mount Olive inside Kornegay Arena.
 
The Royals (1-6) opened the match on a tear, hitting .313 offensively in the first set behind seven kills from senior opposite Tristan Santoyo to take an early 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Mount Olive (1-0) responded with a win of their own in the second set to tie match score before claiming victory in set three after the two sides needed extra points to decide the outcome.
 
Queens staved off elimination in the fourth set, collecting 11 kills with just one error. After Mount Olive began the frame with a 5-1 lead, the Royals battled back to tie the match at 14-all following four unanswered points.
 
With the match once again tied at 15-15, Queens rattled off six straight points to build a 20-15 lead that ended with a solo block from sophomore transfer Jack Brinkman. The Royals remained ahead for the remainder of the set to force a deciding fifth frame.
 
Freshman Stirling Sims opened the fifth set with a service ace for Queens, but Mount Olive quickly gained a 3-1 advantage that they held onto in securing the match victory.
 
Senior middle JP Payne continued his strong start to the season, leading the Royals with 12 kills and a .346 hitting performance. Santoyo followed with 10 kills and nine digs, while Brinkman finished with nine kills and hit .217 on the outside. Sims had seven kills and a .636 hitting mark in the middle.
 
Senior Josh Bragg matched a program record with 19 digs on defense, and sophomore setter Daniel Leitao registered 39 assists and six digs in his third start of the year.
 
Queens returns to Curry Arena next week to begin a four-game homestand in Charlotte. The Royals begin by hosting fellow IVA member Limestone University on Thursday, Feb. 4 inside Curry Arena on the Queens Sports Network.