CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte volleyball team hosts the second-ever Division I edition of the Queens Fall Classic this weekend.
The six-team classic includes Queens University of Charlotte (ASUN), Marshall University (Sun Belt), The Citadel (SoCon), South Carolina State (MEAC), Furman University (SoCon), and UNC Asheville (Big South).
Fans can get all 2023 Queens Fall Classic information — including a full schedule, live stream links, parking information, ticketing, and more — on our tournament page here. All matches against Queens will be streamed via ESPN+, while all other match updates can be found through StatBroadcast.
The Royals open tournament play on Friday against The Citadel (12:30 p.m.) and Marshall (7:30 p.m.) before finishing the weekend against Furman on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
A Look Back on Last Week
Queens collected their second win of the season on Saturday, Sep. 2 after taking down MAC-opponent Northern Illinois in a 3-2 battle in the Wildcat Classic. Queens jumped to a 2-0 lead early before the Huskies swiped the next two sets, forcing the Royals to a fifth and final set which ended in a 15-11 Royals victory. The Royals outhit the Huskies .132 to .112, and finished with two more kills overall (57 to 55).
Alleigh Johnson led the Royals on the offense with 13 kills, while All-Tournament honoree Jordyn Johnson recorded a double-double of 12 kills and 14 digs.
Kayla McDuffie added seven kills and tallied a match-high .313 hitting percentage.
Defensively, Anna Law had a season-high day of six blocks, and Kendall Buish recorded her third match of the season tallying 30 or more assists. Buish currently ranks ninth in the ASUN in assists per set (7.55). Jesse George also finds herself within the ASUN standings, as the junior ranks third in the conference in digs per set with a 4.68.
Scouting the Opponent: The Citadel
The Citadel have yet to experience a loss in the 2023 season, taking triumphs over Marshall, Bethune-Cookman, Charleston, Florida A&M, Jacksonville, and Northern Arizona. Of their wins, three have ended in a Bulldog 3-0 sweep. On the offense, Ali Ruffin has led the Bulldog charge with 116 total kills while Jaelynn Elbert has helped on the defense with 110 total digs on the season. Ali Ruffin was recently honored as the SoCon offensive player of the week after their win over Charleston on Aug. 29.
Scouting the Opponent: Marshall
Marshall finds themselves in a sea of accolades from the Sun Belt conference after their second week of non-conference play. The squad sits in second place in the Sun Belt in service aces with 48, while Peyton Neal and Bria Samilton individually sit atop the conference with 14 and 13, respectively. To date, the Thundering Herd is 3-5 overall with wins over Bethune-Cookman and UNC Greensboro but are currently amidst a three-game losing streak with losses from Akron, Coppin State, and Eastern Kentucky.
Scouting the Opponent: Furman
Furman has found an early lucky streak as the Paladins are sitting at a 5-1 record, their best start to a season since 2012. Most recently, the Paladins defeated USC Upstate in a 3-0 sweep. Furman recorded a .308 hitting percentage as a team while completing their third consecutive win on the season. Ava Augustson leads the Paladins with 65 total kills on the year while Izzy Castelloe is reliable on the block with a team-leading 20 overall.
Be sure to follow the Queens Women's Volleyball team on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest news and updates. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to keep up with all the Royals in action.
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