AUSTIN, TX. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team had their three-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the No. 1 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in the first match of the First Point Collegiate Challenge on Friday night. The loss in the inaugural challenge dropped the Royals to 4-4 overall while the Rainbow Warriors improved to 6-2 on the season. In the all-time series between the two, the reigning national champions have won the first four meetings.
 
Hawai'i came into the primetime match following a straight set sweep over the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights earlier in the afternoon. The Rainbow Warriors maintained their rhythm and jolted out to an 8-0 lead forcing Royals head coach Jeremy Price to use an early timeout to regroup his squad. Queens would respond with a three-point rally to gain some confidence, but the Rainbow Warriors attack was too much. Despite hitting -.048 in the first set, Queens generated more attacking opportunities in the first set, but the Rainbow Warriors net presence was evident with three blocks. Hawai'i would hit an astounding .526 with 11 kills and capitalized with four service aces.
 
The second set opened with the Rainbow Warriors jumping ahead 7-1 using four kills and a pair of service aces. The Royals would battle back and close the deficit to 13-7 but could not answer the scorching hot Rainbow Warrior attack. Hawai'i would open the lead back up using an 8-0 run and securing the set 25-11. Queens would hit .048 in the second with six kills while Hawai'i hit .217 and continued their dominance at the service line with 11 through two sets.
 
In the final frame, Hawai'i erupted early for a 12-1 lead, including a 10-0 run using four service aces. The Rainbow Warriors would then use an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 21-3. The Royals would continue to fight by putting together a 6-2 rally, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
 
For the match, Hawai'i tied their program record and set a Big West record with 17 service aces. The Rainbow Warriors would add 62 kills on a .371 hitting percentage. Jack Brinkman would lead the Royals with seven kills while Daniel Leitao would add six kills and four digs on the evening.
 
Queens will look to get back in the win column tomorrow when they challenge Fairleigh Dickinson in the final match of the First Point Collegiate Challenge. First serve is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET from the Austin Convention Center. 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.