FORT MYERS, FLA. — Queens University of Charlotte faced 2023 ASUN Conference Champions Florida Gulf Coast on the road, battling hard but ultimately falling in straight sets (17-25, 11-25, 20-25) at Alico Arena on Saturday, Sept. 28.
SET-BY-SET RECAP
Queens opened the match with early momentum, thanks to back-to-back service aces from Jesse George to help jump out to a 6-2 lead. However, FGCU quickly found their rhythm, rallying to tie the set at 6-6 before rallying to a 7-1 run. FGCU's Skylar English and Shelby Kent fired past Royals' defense, combining for multiple kills. The Eagles closed out the set 25-17, with a service ace sealing the win.
The second set saw FGCU take an early lead. Despite an ace from McDuffie early on, FGCU's aggressive serving and attack took control. English led the charge for FGCU with four service aces and several key kills. FGCU jumped to a commanding 14-6 lead and never looked back, securing the second set by a score of 25-11.
Queens fought back in the third, as Kendall Buish's serving sparked a 5-0 run that closed the gap to 19-20 after trailing for much of the set. Jordyn Johnson and Anna Grace Sparks added key kills to keep the Royals within striking distance. However, FGCU's frontline, led by Kent and English, delivered in crunch time, with consecutive kills and a block from Oreva Evivie to put the set and match away. FGCU closed it out 25-20, taking the match win 3-0.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Jordyn Johnson and Anna Grace Sparks led Queens with four kills each. Both players contributed key offensive plays throughout the match, especially in the third set. Kendall Buish led the Royals with 11 assists, setting up multiple attacks and contributing to Queens' competitive performance in the final set.
Kendall Buish and Jesse George each had three service aces, with Buish's serving in the third set fueling a late run that helped Queens push FGCU.
Buish also led in digs with seven. Emma Norris led Queens with two blocks.
UP NEXT
The Royals stay in Florida and head to DeLand to face Stetson on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1:00 PM.
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.
