CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The No. 14-ranked Princeton Tigers used a 13-ace performance from Ben Harrington to hold the Royals off in their season opener by a 3-0 decision (25-23, 25-19, 25-20).
POSTMATCH REMARKS FROM COACH PRICE
"It was good to see that sustained service pressure," Head Coach Jeremy Price said. "We knew Princeton was a good team, they are in the top 15, and we get another shot at them tomorrow. I think it is important to see if we can make the necessary adjustments."
SET BY SET
In the first set, Queens put on the pressure early by snagging the first three points of the match with a Matthew Pilch kill, Daniel Leitao kill, and an ace. Princeton quickly jumped back with the help of Queens miscues to tie the score up at five before veteran Jack Brinkman responded with back-to-back slams to get ahead by two.
A back-and-forth affair from both sides of the net resulted in a tight 21-19 Queens lead before Princeton tallied in a 4-0 run — holding Queens off at just the right time to sneak out the victory.
In the second, a confident Tigers squad came out and scored the first six points. Queens would piece together a medley of runs, but would quickly find themselves at a 21-13 deficit. The Royals fought back to force three consecutive Princeton errors before the Tigers called a timeout to regroup. Despite a valiant comeback attempt from the Royals, the Tigers would take the second set by a score of 25-19.
The Royals had no quit in the third, despite Princeton's Harrington eight service aces in the frame. The Tigers would make an 11-0 run before a service error would cut their streak; giving the Tigers a 20-8 lead. Jack Brinkman hoisted the offensive effort for the Royals with two kills late in the game, and helped spark an eight-point unanswered run for the Royals to put their squad within four. A late kill from the Tigers would seal the third set by a score of 25-20.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Brinkman led the Royals with 11 kills while Shaphar Grant added in four kills and four blocks in his Queens debut. Daniel Leitao would also put down four kills in the effort.
"Shaphar has experience, and that's what I like," Price added. "You saw the impact Shaphar had on the match right away."
Stirling Sims pieced together a team-leading five-block performance on the night while Pilch added in three of his own.
UP NEXT
The Royals are back in the Levine Center tomorrow, Jan. 9 to face the Tigers slated for a 6:00 PM first serve.
