CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Queens entered day one of the IVA Championships as the three seed and earned an automatic bid into the championship semifinal. After the conclusion of the first match, the Royals were pitted against third-seeded Limestone. Fans in the stands were treated to about as entertaining of a volleyball match as possible, as the official game time was listed at just under three hours. Queens was put in a hole as they fell behind 2-0 in sets. The Royals remained as resilient as ever, erasing the deficit with victories in the third and fourth set, before claiming an exciting fifth set that helps the Royals clinch a spot in the championship final (22-25, 25-27, 25-20, 25-18, 22-20).

MATCH SUMMARY
Despite being the lower seed, Limestone got out to a hot start and grabbed a 14-9 lead over the Royals halfway through the set. Queens responded well and were able to go on a run of its own that saw the deficit shrink to one, 16-15. The Saints built their lead back up to six, but another late push by Queens helped knot the score at 22. Limestone would ultimately take the final three points and earn a first-set victory. 

Queens had the upper hand halfway through the second set, as they'd grab an impressive 14-8 lead after a five-point run that included two service aces by Stirling Sims and was capped off with a double-block by Nathan Vaupel and Daniel Leitao. Limestone chipped away at the deficit but were unable to grab lead for a large portion of the set, until a late push saw them knot the score at 23, before flipping the script and pulling ahead 25-24. The Royals were able to side out, but the Saints claimed the final two points and pulled within one set of a victory. 

The third set saw Queens continue to build off a strong second set, as a pair of kills by Jack Brinkman combined with a service ace by Nathan Vaupel helped Queens build a 16-11 lead in the third. Up 20-17, Queens kept up their efficient offensive attack, as Matthew Pilch, Brian Schwob, and Vaupel found open court on three-consecutive kills that propelled the Queens to a 23-17 lead which would lead to a third-set victory. 

Much like the second set, Sims served up another pair of aces that sparked a run in the fourth set that propelled Queens to a 13-9 lead. Strong defensive play combined with strong swings on offense helped keep the Saints at bay as the deficit would not get below three with Queens claiming the fourth set, 25-18. 

The fifth set was one Queens will remember for a long time. Leitao and Vaupel followed up a double block with a kill each to build a 6-1 lead early on. After taking an 8-6 lead into the break, the Saints managed to respond well and knot the set at 10. They'd eventually claim a lead and force match point, leading 14-13 over the Royals. Queens miraculously managed to break match point on six consecutive attempts, thanks in large part to Pilch who capped off an incredible match with three kills on set point opportunities for Limestone. After Pilch's final kill tied the set at 20, Sims stepped behind the service line and served what was originally called a service error but was later challenged and overturned to an ace to give Queens match point, its second of the set. Sims' next serve was played but resulted in an attack error by Limestone that secured a victory for the Royals. 

COACH'S WORDS
"The match and the crowd environment really came together and heightened the excitement", said head coach Jeremy Price. "It's also only the second time we've ever come back from down 2-0, so to do it in the semifinal of the IVA Championship makes it extra special. Matt Pilch did a great job attacking today, especially from the back row. I also can't say enough about Stirling Sims and his efforts in the front row and especially from behind the service line with six aces. Brian Schwob did an awesome job running the offense tonight and Guillermo Jordan showed why he's among the best in the nation in defense."

BY THE NUMBERS

• As he has for much of the regular season, Matthew Pilch paced Queens' offense with 21 kills, swinging .364 on the evening. 
• Jack Brinkman also enjoyed a nice match from the outside, putting away 13 kills while completing a double-double with 11 digs. 
• Daniel Leitao made nice contributions on both sides of the ball, tallying nine kills while picking up a match-high 13 digs. 
• Brian Schwob concluded the match with an astounding 52 assists, adding five digs in the process. 

NEXT UP
Queens concluded its season tomorrow, April 15 as they'll face off with top-seeded Lincoln Memorial in the IVA Championship final at 5PM. 

SOCIAL MEDIA
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