CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Royals kicked off their weekend on the right foot with a 3-0 sweep (25-19, 25-19, 25-23) of the Stetson Hatters inside the Levine Center Friday night.
SET BY SET RECAP
Queens started strong off the jump, with Kendall Buish orchestrating the offense efficiently. The set opened with Queens establishing a slight edge through the play of Emma Norris and Alleigh Johnson, both executing from Buish's assists. With seven ties early in the set, the lead changed multiple times as both teams traded points. Queens hit a turning point at 13-9 with a series of quick plays: Anna Grace Sparks delivered a kill, followed by an ace from Buish. The Royals defense also held firm, as McDuffie notched a crucial block to keep Queens in control. Despite a push from Stetson, Queens maintained the lead with consistent attacking, ultimately closing out the set 25-19 with A. Johnson landing a decisive kill.
Queens entered the second set determined to build on their momentum. McDuffie was particularly dominant, tallying several kills off precision assists from Buish, who consistently set up her teammates for clean attacks. The Royals quickly took a 7-6 lead, breaking the initial deadlock with a standout block by Sparks and Emma Norris. Queens' blocking game took center stage, stifling Stetson's attempts at the net. As the set progressed, A. Johnson added to the lead with a powerful kill, and Sparks followed with a service ace that forced a timeout from Stetson at 19-11. Though Stetson rallied briefly, Queens' defense held steady with Tilley Collins' digging to counter Stetson's attacks. The Royals maintained their composure and closed out the set 25-19, bringing them one set away from the sweep.
In the third set, Queens looked to seal the match but faced a more resilient Stetson team. Queens opened with strong serving and quick kills from A. Johnson and McDuffie, who led the Royals to an early 9-3 lead. Norris and Sparks contributed key blocks. The Royals held a comfortable margin through much of the set, yet Stetson clawed back, closing the gap to 23-22 with a series of kills from Jenna Simmons. J. Johnson came through for Queens with a powerful kill to bring up set point. Norris delivered the finishing touch by putting up a block on Stetson's final attack, sealing the set at 25-23 and securing a 3-0 victory for Queens.
"I thought we saw good performances from a lot of different players in ways that don't always show up on the stat sheet," Head Coach Hannah Long said. "I thought we serve-received extremely well against a very good serving team, and tI thought we played great defense. On the offensive side, we were versatile... Kendall [Buish] did a great job of distributing the offense and finding the hot hand at the right time."
ROYAL RUNDOWN
UP NEXT
The Royals are back inside Levine for a match against Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 1:00 PM ET.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals women's volleyball team on Instagram and Twitter/X stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics to stay updated on all the Royals sports teams in action by searching @QueensAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
