CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens volleyball delivered one of its cleanest and most balanced performances of the season on Tuesday night, sweeping West Georgia in straight sets (25–18, 25–16, 25–9) inside Curry Arena. The Royals improved to 14–8 overall and 5–4 in ASUN play, while the Wolves dropped to 2–20 and 0–9 in the league.
Queens hit a collective .385 on the night, recording 44 kills to just nine errors across 91 attempts. The Royals controlled every phase of the match, totaling nine service aces, seven team blocks, and 41 digs while holding West Georgia to a .114 hitting clip.
Elizabeth Layson paced the offense with 11 kills on .625 hitting, marking her most efficient outing of the season. Mia McMillen added 10 kills at a .409 clip along with five digs, while Emma Norris continued her consistent play with eight kills on .538 hitting and four total blocks. Ellis Sargent stayed red-hot with seven kills on .438 hitting and no errors, marking her second consecutive error-free match. Anna Grace Sparks filled the stat sheet with three aces, three kills, and eight digs, providing steady play on both sides of the ball.
Setters Marlee Cook and Tyler Peluso steered the offense, combining for 30 assists and keeping the Royals' attack in rhythm. Cook dished out 17 assists and an ace, while Peluso added 13 assists and five digs. Tilley Collins anchored the back row with 16 digs, two aces, and five assists, and Megan Kelly and Ella Porter each provided timely service runs late in the match that helped close the door on the Wolves.
After a tight start in the opening set, Queens used an 8–2 run fueled by Layson and Sparks to take control and close out the frame 25–18. The Royals carried that momentum into the second, where Sparks served up a pair of aces during a 7–0 surge that broke the set open. Queens then dominated the third, hitting a blistering .571 while holding West Georgia to .000. A five-point service run from Kelly, featuring two aces and kills from Sargent and Norris, pushed the Royals ahead 20–8 before Porter capped the sweep with an ace.
"I think a lot of credit goes to our hitters," said Queens head coach Matt Stolz. "After the first 15 points of the match, we had six errors and finished with just nine total — so only three the rest of the way. I think the team just needed a little wake-up to get into the rhythm of the game. Elizabeth [Layson] had 11 kills on 16 swings and hit .625. Sarge [Ellis Sargent] had seven kills on 16 attempts — that's two matches in a row without an error. She's been lights out and a big impact for us. Mia [McMillen] did a great job taking smart swings, and Emma [Norris] played unreal again. I'm very happy with our offensive performance tonight. We followed the game plan really well, and I was very pleased with our serving performance too."
Queens finished the night with 44 kills, nine aces, 41 digs, and seven team blocks compared to West Georgia's 27 kills, no aces, and 29 digs. The Royals hit .385 as a team while limiting the Wolves to a .114 mark.
UP NEXT
Queens heads back on the road for a Sunday matchup against Austin Peay.
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