CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After winning two straight, the Royals returned home for the first time in three weeks to face off with Limestone. They gave the fans a show, performing well on both sides and earning their third victory in a row with a straight sweep over the Saints, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-18).

With the win, Queens improves to 6-8 while Belmont Abbey falls to 7-6.

MATCH SUMMARY
 
SET 1
Queens got out to an early lead, as kills by Jack Brinkman and Daniel Leitao put Queens ahead 10-8. Limestone responded in a big way, taking seven of the next nine points and claiming a 15-12 leading heading into the first break. After knotting the set at 17 with a well-placed kill by Leitao, Nathan Vaupel and Matthew Pilch combined for a double block that helped them re-claim the lead and force the Saints to call their first timeout of the set. With the set later knotted at 21, Brinkman and Leitao would combine for two kills as the Royals pushed three straight to set up set point, before a Brinkman kill would claim the set. 
 
SET 2
The Leitao-Pilch-Brinkman combo would continue to fire away in the second set as they'd each earn kills on Queens' first three points of the set. Brinkman would find open court on another kill that sparked a four-point run, capped off with an ace by Brian Schwob and forcing Limestone to call an early first timeout. After a later run extended the lead to 13-7, Limestone rattled off four consecutive to cut the deficit to two, 13-11. The two teams continued to trade points, with the Saints eventually erasing the deficit and taking a 20-19 lead of their own. Queens responded in a big way by taking four of the next five points and would eventually clinch the second set thanks to a solid double block by Daniel Leitao and Riley Mulkey. 
 
SET 3
Vaupel and Brinkman helped the Royals earn back to back points to claim a 14-11 lead halfway through the third set. The Saints pushed back and tied the set at 15 before the resilient Queens squad earned four straight points of their own to re-claim a four-point lead and force Limestone to call a timeout. The Royals' strong play kept the Saints at bay as a kill by Brinkman would eventually seal the set and ultimately the match. 
 
COACH'S WORDS
"Anytime we can get an IVA win in three sets is a really important factor that can come into play in April when it comes to seeding, so I'm really proud of how this team played today and this week" said head coach Jeremy Price. "We had a tough match last night and a quick turnaround against a Limestone team that always plays us well; we gutted out the first set, played well in the second, and were able to find a way to win the third despite it not being the prettiest. The play by our outsides was really outstanding; Matt Pilch and Jack Brinkman have really carried us this week along with Guillermo Jordan who helped our service perform at a high level."
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Jack Brinkman had his most efficient match of the season, putting away 13 kills without error to boast a .419 hitting clip. 
• Also totaling 13 kills was Matthew Pilch, who also added seven digs and a block assist. 
• Guillermo Jordan's defensive play helped keep Queens alive in some long rallies as he totaled 10 digs.
• Brian Schwob dished out 33 assists on the evening to go with six digs, a block, and an ace.

 
NEXT UP
The Royals are back on the road as they kick off the month of March with a matchup against King (TN) on Wednesday, March 4.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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