CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team fought hard but fell to McKendree in four sets (23-25, 25-23, 19-25, 21-25) on Friday night at Curry Arena. Despite a strong offensive performance, the Royals were outlasted by a well-rounded McKendree attack.
SET ONE
Queens came out strong, trading points with McKendree in a tightly contested opening frame. The set saw 12 ties and five lead changes, with the Royals hitting an efficient .357 behind kills from Carson Strawbridge and Matthew Pilch. A kill from Strawbridge put the Royals up 22-20, but McKendree responded with a late surge, closing out the set 25-23.
SET TWO
Determined to bounce back, Queens continued to battle in another back-and-forth set that featured 12 ties and five lead changes. The Royals cleaned up their errors and kept McKendree from gaining any major momentum. Chance Shampine and Reed Shuey delivered key kills late, and a McKendree attack error sealed the set for the Royals at 25-23, evening the match at 1-1.
SET THREE
McKendree came out firing in the third set, using a strong .433 hitting percentage to control the frame. Queens kept it close early, but the Bearcats went on a mid-set run, pulling ahead 16-13 after a kill from Boone Felts. Despite strong efforts from Pilch and Strawbridge, McKendree's efficiency at the net proved too much, as they closed out the set 25-19 to regain the match lead.
SET FOUR
Queens looked to force a decisive fifth set and held early leads, but McKendree continued to capitalize. The Royals stayed within striking distance, but a late McKendree push put the Bearcats ahead 22-19. A final kill from Boone Felts sealed the 25-21 set win, giving McKendree the 3-1 victory.
ROYAL RUNDOWN
POSTGAME COMMENTS
"we've had chances the last couple weekends at the end games that we didn't quite finish," Head Coach Jeremy Price said. "We had three guys in double-digit kills. Today, our middles were really good, so that's that's a bright spot. We're close, but you gotta learn to finish against really good teams and we've certainly been challenged the last couple of weekends."
UP NEXT
The Royals are back in action in a midweek non-conference matchup against St. Francis on Tuesday at 6 PM inside Levine.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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