WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Queens University of Charlotte women's volleyball team heads into the Seahawk Classic this weekend in Wilmington, N.C. to kick off the 2024 campaign to compete against East Carolina, Loyola Maryland, and host team UNC Wilmington. This marks an important early test for Head Coach Hannah Long's squad in their third season in Division I, and their third year competing in the ASUN Conference.
Last season, Queens faced tough competition in the ASUN, finishing with a 4-24 overall record and a 1-15 mark in conference play. Despite challenges, the Royals finished out 2023 with multiple highlights: They took home their first victory against ASUN foe Central Arkansas in the all-time series against the Sugar Bears in a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 13, 2023, upcoming senior Jesse George tallied a career 1000 digs against North Florida on Oct. 27, 2023, and the team led the conference in 2023 in digs per set (16.51).
Other seasoned veterans of the squad look to make an impact in 2024.
Jordyn Johnson (OH): Leading the team with 233 kills in 2023, Johnson averaged 2.40 kills per set, making her a central figure in Queens' offensive strategy.
Alleigh Johnson (OH): A versatile player, Alleigh Johnson added 229 kills and led the team in service aces with 25.
Kayla McDuffie (MB): McDuffie stood out with 173 kills and a .273 hitting percentage, along with 55 blocks, making her a key player at the net.
Kendall Buish (S): The primary setter, Buish contributed 786 assists (7.94 assists per set) and 273 digs, playing a crucial role in setting up the attack.
"Our team has been working extremely hard preparing for our first matches, Coach Long said. "We are excited to match up against some strong opponents this weekend at the Seahawk Classic." The Royals will rely on the vets and gel new Royals into the rotation. Five fresh faces join the team, including four freshman (Marlee Cook, Riley Ellison, Megan Kelly, Camryn Teasley) and an ECU transfer in Emma Norris. Despite taking a redshirt year with the Pirates, Norris finished her high school career at North Iredell as the MVP of the 2022 NCHSAA 3A state championship match after securing a solid 25 kills to lead the Raiders to a five-set win over J.H. Rose.
Two freshman from North Carolina — Megan Kelly and Marlee Cook — served as giant forces on the Hoggard and Green Hope High Schools, respectively. Kelly was named Second Team All-Conference in 2022, First Team All -Conference in 2023, earned the 2023 Varsity Leadership Award, and was ranked in the Top Ten in assists in North Carolina 4A East in 2022 & 2023. Cook also earned accolades at Green Hope, including claiming the Under Armour All-American title in 2022 and 2023. Ellison out of Georgetown racked up District All-Tournament Team honors with her time at Great Crossing while Teasley out of Winter Garden, Fla. was notably named the 2020, 2021 and 2023 "Kills Leader" in District 6A with Horizon High School.
Along with the new faces on the team comes a new face on the coaching staff. Savannah Moore, a standout 2020 Troy graduate, Moore ranks third all-time in Trojans history in career solo blocks (49) and career blocks per set (0.82). Moore most recently comes from a stint with the Young Harris staff. "We are really excited to have Coach Moore join our program," Long said. "She helped start and build a program at Young Harris which saw a record-setting season in 2023. Our athletes are going to truly benefit from her expertise on and off the court."
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