CAMBRIDGE, MA. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team (1-3) dropped their opener at the Harvard Invitational on Friday night as the Royals fell 3-0 to the Harvard Crimson inside the Malkin Athletic Center. The loss drops the Royals to 1-3 overall on the young season while the Crimson pick up their first win of the 2022 season.
 
In the opening set, Harvard grabbed the first point and controlled the match early as they never trailed until Queens knotted the score 10-10. The Royals would grab a brief 11-10 lead before the Crimson use small rallies to extend their lead. The home team would eventually use a 9-3 surge to close the set and grab the early lead. Queens managed to hit .353 with nine kills in the opener while Harvard hit .369 with 12 kills. Both squads struggled from the service line in the opening set committing nine errors, including five from the Crimson. JP Payne led the Royals early with four kills in the first set while Daniel Leitao recorded six assists.
 
The second set saw Queens compete and keep the match close until they trailed 10-7. The Crimson would put together an 8-2 run to break open the set before securing it 25-14. The miscues mounted for the Royals as they hit .115 while committing six attacking errors. Harvard maintained their rhythm by hitting .364 and notching six service aces.
 
Harvard opened the third set by grabbing the first point and never looking back as they led for the remainder of the set. The Crimson lead grew to as much as seven at 18-11, but the Royals would not shy away as they battled until the very end before falling short 25-19. The home team managed to hit a game-high .414 with 15 kills in the third set while Queens hit .278 with nine kills. The Royals woes at the service line continued in the third set as Queens committed seven service errors.
 
For the game, Queens hit .230 with 27 kills. Harvard would put together a .386 performance with 37 kills. The Crimson capitalized at the service line earning 10 aces while the Royals only managed one. JP Payne, Ananias Hayes, and Jack Brinkman would each earn eight kills on the evening. Payne was a perfect 8-for-8 on the attack while also adding a pair of block assists.
 
Campbell Schoenfeld led the Crimson with nine kills on a .474 attack percentage. James Bardin set up the Crimson attack with 29 assists. Three Harvard players finished with a pair of service aces.
 
Queens will wrap up their weekend at the Harvard Invitational tomorrow, Jan. 22 with a neutral site contest against King University. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from the Malkin Athletic Center on the campus of Harvard University. The Royals were originally scheduled to play Fairleigh Dickinson University tomorrow, but the Knights had to withdrawal from the tournament due to COVID-19 protocols.
Be sure to follow the Royals men's volleyball program on Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest news and updates surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics to follow all of the Royals sports in action.