ROMEOVILLE, ILL. — The Queens men's volleyball team put together an impressive performance on the road at Neil Carey Arena, pushing Lewis to the brink in a hard-fought five-set battle. The Royals came out strong, taking the first set before ultimately falling in a narrow 3-2 score (25-21, 17-25, 18-25, 26-24, 12-15).

SET ONE
Queens wasted no time setting the tone. A combination of aggressive swings and well-placed attacks helped the Royals take an early lead. Pilch and Saurer powered the offense, while the Royals' defense limited Lewis' opportunities. With steady execution down the stretch, Queens secured a 25-21 victory to go up 1-0.

SET TWO
Lewis responded in set two, but Queens remained competitive. The Royals put together several strong rallies and continued to pressure Lewis' defense. Despite their efforts, a few errors allowed Lewis to gain separation late, as they evened the match with a 25-17 win.

SET THREE
The Royals looked to reclaim momentum in the third set and saw key contributions from Chance Shampine, Pilch and Saurer. Queens stayed within striking distance thanks to strong net play and defensive stops, but Lewis capitalized on a few well-timed runs to take the set 25-18.

SET FOUR
Determined to push the match to five sets, Queens delivered a thrilling performance in the fourth. The Royals battled point for point in a set filled with high-energy plays and momentum swings. Pilch led the charge with key kills, while the defense made crucial stops to keep Lewis from pulling away. Tied at 24-24, Queens stepped up in the clutch, sealing a 26-24 win and forcing a decisive fifth set.

SET FIVE
In the final set, both teams left everything on the court. Queens started strong, keeping pace with Lewis and delivering big plays in key moments. However, a late push by the Flyers proved to be the difference, as Lewis edged out a 15-12 win to take the match.

ROYAL RUNDOWN

• Reed Shuey had a standout performance, contributing 13 kills and hitting a .706.
• Kaden Saurer provided offensive firepower with four kills in the match. 
• Wilson Buchanan tallied a career-high 40 assists in the match.

POSTGAME COMMENTS
"A tough, well-fought match," said head coach Jeremy Price. "I thought Reed Shuey played extremely well, especially attacking… I thought Nathan Vaupel did a great job blocking; our middles had a good day. We've got to continue to focus getting better be able to finish off one of these five-setters in conference play."

UP NEXT
The Royals are back at home to face Loyola Chicago on Thursday, April 3. 

SOCIAL MEDIA
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