Box Score CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Queens men's volleyball entered their final regular-season contest primed for the postseason after recently having won their fifth-consecutive match against Mount Olive. The good times continued to roll Thursday evening, as they took down Limestone in straight sets to take a six-game winning streak into the post season (25-16, 25-21, 25-17).

MATCH SUMMARY
Queens was hot out the gate, as a kill by Stirling Sims sparked a three-point run that gave the Royals a commanding 11-5 lead early on in the first set. Limestone managed to cut the deficit to three, but another large run by the Royals, which included three kills by Matthew Pilch, pushed the lead back up nine points as Queens led 18-9. A kill by Daniel Leitao earned set point before a service error by the Saints gave Queens the first set, 25-16.

A kill by Ananias Hayes early in the second sparked a run that would put Queens up 9-4, but Limestone responded well and would fight back to come within a point, 10-9. Both teams remained scrappy as the score differential never grew larger than three and even saw the lead swap as the Saints managed to take a 19-18 lead late in the set. The deficit was short-lived for the Royals as they'd take five of the next six points and pull ahead 23-20. Another kill by Pilch gave Queens set point, proceeded by a second-consecutive service error by Limestone that helped the Royals clinch the second set. 

Much like the second set, both squads remained neck-and-neck early in the third set, as Queens held a narrow 10-9 lead early on. The Royals' strong serving and scrappy play helped force numerous on the opposing side which helped the lead grow to 15-11, causing the Saints to call their first timeout of the set. Hayes, who was efficient all night, connected on another pair of kills that pushed the lead to 21-15, before a kill by Leitao forced Limestone to call its final timeout of the set. Ryan Cymbor got in on the action late and would find open court on a kill that helped Queens take the final set and ultimately the match.

COACH'S WORDS
"That was a solid way to end the regular season", said head coach Jeremy Price. "I was really pleased with how our outside hitters played as Ananias Hayes and Matt Pilch both had double-digit kills and hit over .400, and did a great job in serve-receive along with Guillermo Jordan."

BY THE NUMBERS

• Matthew Pilch ended the season with top efficiency, leading the way with 15 kills while swinging .448 on the evening. He also added 10 digs to earn the double-double.
• Ananias Hayes had a solid performance on the outside with 10 kills and a .400 clip. That was accompanied by three total blocks including two solo.
• Brian Schwob did a nice job distributing the ball, totaling 34 assists in the match. 
• Guillermo Jordan helped sure up the backline with match-high 11 digs. 

NEXT UP
Queens returns as hosts of the IVA Championships, occuring April 14-15, featuring six teams. Queens earned a first-round bye and will open the tournament with a match at 4:30 PM on Friday, April 14 against a team that is to be determined. 

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.