CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team (1-1) picked up their third consecutive win in a dominant 3-1 victory over the University of Charleston inside Curry Arena on Saturday evening. The win improved the Royals record to 3-1 at home as they wrapped up the Men's Volleyball Classic a perfect 2-0.
 
Both teams opened the evening slowly committing 15 combined attack errors and 12 service errors in the opening set. The Royals managed to hit .103 while holding the Golden Eagles to a -.030 mark. Queens would take the first set 25-22 as they capitalized on a Jack Brinkman kill and a Golden Eagles attack error to grab the early advantage.
 
Queens opened the second set with a kill from Daniel Leitao and they never looked back as they led for the duration of the set. The home team would minimize the errors in the second as they recorded 13 kills on a .478 hitting percentage. Charleston would also play a slightly better set by hitting .214 with 12 kills, however they were still prone to attack errors.
 
Looking to pick up another straight set sweep on the weekend, the Royals were locked in for an intense third set. Both teams exchanged points for the entire match as neither squad managed to gather a lead more than two points. All even 21-21, the Royals would record back-to-back points and take a 23-21 lead following a block by JP Payne and Daniel Leitao which led to a Golden Eagles timeout. Charleston would exit the timeout and proceed to go on a 4-0 run capped off by a Nathan Cartier kill to stay alive. In the third set, Queens hit .241 with 12 kills while Charleston struck .233 with 13 kills. The Royals struggled from the service line in the set tallying five errors.
 
In the fourth set, Queens regained their rhythm by jumping out to a 4-1 lead. However, the Golden Eagles would counter with small rallies and maintain their distance until they took the lead 16-15. A veteran Royals group would not be phased with falling behind as they answered with a 7-2 run and took a commanding 22-18 lead into the final stretch. The visitors would respond with one point, but Queens closed the door with three straight points, including a Brandon Grabow service ace to win the match.
 
On the night, Queens hit .270 with 49 kills while holding Charleston to a .134 hitting percentage and 42 kills. Three Royals reached double figures in kills as Jack Brinkman led the charge with a game-high 18. Matthew Pilch and Daniel Leitao would add 12 kills and 11 kills, respectively. Brandon Grabow led the game with 42 assists while also adding seven digs.
 
Charleston was led by Lachlan Bray who recorded 11 kills on the evening. Ismael Sneed would add 10 kills on a .412 hitting percentage.
 
Queens will now turn their attention to the First Point Collegiate Challenge which will take place next weekend in Austin, Tx. The Royals will open the tournament with the reigning national champions from the University of Hawai'i on Friday, Feb. 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET from the Austin Convention Center. On Saturday, Queens will square off against Kentucky State at 1:30 ET. For more information on the weekend tournament and ticket prices, please refer to the official website.

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.
 
Weekend Results
Day One
4:00 PM - Charleston 3 | Limestone 0
7:00 PM - Queens 3 | Barton 0
Day Two
1:00 PM – Limestone 3 | Barton 1
4:00 PM - Queens 3 | Charleston 1