FAIRFAX, VA – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team faced George Mason on Thursday night, dropping a tightly contested match 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 19-25) at the Recreation Athletic Complex. Despite a strong start, the Royals could not sustain their momentum, slipping to 5-1 on the season.
SET ONE
Queens came out swinging in the opening set, powered by a strong offensive showing. Led by Carson Strawbridge and Matthew Pilch, the Royals built an early lead. Nathan Vaupel added a service ace, while Pilch contributed at the net with a solo block and three kills, while also adding an ace of his own. Queens closed out the set 25-22, holding George Mason to a .214 hitting percentage.
SET TWO
The second set featured intense back-and-forth action, with 19 ties and seven lead changes. Queens leaned on Strawbridge, who tallied six kills in the frame, and Pilch added three more. However, a late surge by the Patriots fueled by Gio Collazo tipped the set in George Mason's favor, 25-23.
SET THREE
George Mason carried their momentum into the third set, finding their rhythm offensively and out-hitting the Royals .324 to .065. Queens struggled to overcome attack errors, with seven in the set, despite efforts from Strawbridge and Chance Shampine. The Patriots capitalized on the Royals' miscues, taking the set 25-19.
SET FOUR
Queens fought to stay alive in the fourth set, highlighted by an efficient attack percentage of .357, their highest of the match. Strawbridge and Vaupel anchored the offense, but George Mason's Collazo and Robert Evangelista proved too much. The Patriots sealed the match with a 25-19 victory.
"I thought Carson [Strawbridge] continued his strong attacking form," Head Coach Jeremy Price after the match. "After a rough start, he finished the match with 19 kills. I thought Vaupel had a really strong match in the middle and continuing his good play as of late."
ROYAL RUNDOWN
UP NEXT
Next, the Royals stay out on the road to face NJIT tomorrow, Jan. 24 for a 6:00 PM ET start.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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