Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Men's volleyball competed in the second game of a back-to-back, taking on Purdue Fort Wayne. The Royals did a nice job battling and keeping the score close throughout, however Purdue Fort Wayne would take the match in straight sets, 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-21).

With the loss, Queens falls to 1-6 while Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 6-1. 

GAME SUMMARY 
Daniel Leitao and Stirling Sims made their impact felt in the first set. Leitao managed four kills and a block while Sims compiled three aces, a block, and a kill. The first set was tied at 23 late, however the Mastodons took the last two points and would take the first set. 

Leitao continued to find open court well in the second set, as he managed another four kills. Coming off his best match of the season so far, Matthew Pilch put away two kills while Mulkey had a kill and a block as the Royals would once again battle to the end. They held a 20-19 lead which was short-lived, as Purdue Fort Wayne fought back hard and went on to take the second set, 25-22. 

Queens pushed a four-point run early in the third to put them up 4-1. Both teams traded leads throughout the set, with Jack Brinkman helping them re-gain a 15-14 lead halfway through. After re-tying the match at 18, Purdue Fort Wayne put together a late run that would propel them to take the set and ultimately the match.

COACH'S WORDS
"We fought hard from start to finish and I'm proud of the effort we displayed" said head coach Jeremy Price. "Even though the score was 3-0, all three sets went down to the wire and unfortunately for us Fort Wayne handled the endgame a little bit better than we did. I thought Matthew Pilch played a terrific match and was able to score from all over the court."

BY THE NUMBERS

• Daniel Leitao managed 11 kills on the afternoon, amassing double-digit kills for the fourth time this season.
• Jack Brinkman made nice contributions to the match as well, finishing with seven kills and team-high eight digs. 
• Matthew Pilch had a nice, efficient night on offense with seven kills to just one error, hitting an impressive .375.
• Brian Schwob dished out 26 assists, adding five total blocks, one of which was solo.

NEXT UP
The Royals return home next Friday, February 3 as they play host to King (TN).

SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals men's volleyball program on Instagram and Twitter 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.