WILSON, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team (9-7, 3-1 IVA) stayed hot defeating Barton College (0-9, 0-5 CC) by a final score of 3-1 on Wednesday night inside Wilson Gymnasium. The victory pushes the Royals winning streak to three games tying the longest streak of the season.
The evening opened with a very close first set as the largest lead was four which was held by the Royals on two separate occasions. For every Barton response, the visiting Royals countered and maintained the lead for most of the set. Queens would hit a game-high .313 in the first with 13 kills while holding the Bulldogs to a .162 mark and six attack errors. The Royals struggled from the service line in the first set committing six service errors.
The second set saw Barton grab the first three points with a pair of kills and a Royals attack error. After a back-and-forth affair, the Bulldogs put together a 6-1 surge to take a 13-7 lead halfway through the set. Following another run which saw the Bulldogs extend their lead to 20-14, Queens would put together a 5-1 run of their own and trail 21-19 heading into the final stretch of the set. Both teams would exchange points the remainder of the set as the Bulldogs clinched the second with a kill to even the match. Despite hitting .174 in the set, the Royals generated ample attacking opportunities and cashed in with 17 kills.
Following the intermission between sets, Queens was on a mission and found their rhythm early by jumping out to a 6-1 lead using three kills while capitalizing on three Bulldog errors. The Royals would see their lead grow to as much as seven at 15-8 before the Bulldogs came storming back with four straight points to trail 15-12. The Royals would counter with a 5-0 swing to establish a commanding 20-12 lead. Barton would attempt to mount another rally, but the Royals did not allow it as they took the set 25-16. Queens hit .212 in the third with 13 kills while forcing Barton into a -.114 mark and 10 attack errors.
In the final set, Queens used three kills and a service ace to jolt ahead 4-0. The Royals would not turn back as they exchanged alternating points with the Bulldogs before going on a four-point run to grab an 18-13 lead. Again, Barton was seeking a comeback and the Royals held their ground and capitalized on six Bulldog attack errors to grab the set and the match.
The Royals were led offensively by
Ananias Hayes recording a career-high 19 kills on 45 attempts while also earning 12 digs for his first career double-double.
Jack Brinkman played the usual role in the offensive plan with 14 kills while also tallying 22 digs for a double-double as well.
Daniel Leitao would move to the setter role tonight and record a double-double as well with 46 assists and 12 digs.
Fletcher Murphy was a monster at the net for the Royals gathering eight kills and seven block assists, and two solo blocks.
Ty Hurdle would contribute seven kills and eight digs while
JP Payne added six kills and three digs.
Queens will now return home for a Saturday showdown with King University at 3:00 p.m. on March 5. 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.
