GREENEVILLE, TENN. – The Queens women's volleyball team suffered a Saturday setback at Tusculum University in a tough South Atlantic Conference showdown. The loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Royals and dropped their overall record to 9-7 and 4-3 in conference action. Tusculum improved to 13-2 overall and 9-1 in league action while remaining unbeaten at home this season.
 
The afternoon began slowly for the young Royals team. In the first two sets, Queens fell behind early and the Pioneers capitalized by closing out the sets. In the first frame, the Royals trailed 18-13 before using a four-point swing to bridge the gap. Tusculum would not budge as they opened the lead back up and took the set. The second set saw a close match early as both squads went point-for-point, but the Pioneers managed to find their rhythm and utilized a 13-3 push and took an early 2-0 lead. The Royals hit a combined .164 at the start and committed 10 attacking errors and six service errors while the Pioneers hit .340 in the opening pair.
 
Queens would find their groove in the third frame and grab their only set victory of the afternoon. The Royals hit .308 with 14 kills, including four from Lindsay Elmore (Salisbury, N.C.). The senior would finish with a team-high 15 kills on 28 attempts. The Pioneers would attempt a late push, but Queens would close on a 7-3 run and keep the afternoon alive. The Royals defense was remarkable in the set as they forced the Pioneers into a .162 hitting mark and seven attacking errors. In the final set, Tusculum jolted ahead early and set the tone. Trailing 13-6, Queens sparked a six-point run which was capped off by a Jesse George (Virginia Beach, Va.) ace. The rally forced the Pioneers into a timeout which worked in their favor as they took the set 25-22.
 
Freshman Alleigh Johnson (Winterville, N.C.) and Jordyn Johnson (Jamestown, N.C.) were remarkable on the afternoon tallying a double-double. Alleigh Johnson earned 10 kills and 15 digs while Jordyn Johnson recorded 10 kills and 10 digs. Senior Brooke Farley (Fort Mill, S.C.) continued her impressive season with 37 assists and eight digs. For the Pioneers, Emiah Burrowes led the attack with 21 kills on a .436 hitting percentage while Raeley Matthews notched a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs.
 
The Royals will return to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 12 when they host Limestone University. The match will start at 7:00 p.m. from Curry Arena. The theme for the event is Camper Night, and all of our volleyball camp participants will receive free admission. Students, mark your calendars for Friday, Oct. 15 for our "Blue Out" match versus Mars Hill. Show up in blue and present your Q-Card at the entrance for a chance to enter an Apple Watch Giveaway. Be sure to follow the Royals on Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date on all game updates and news.