CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens men's volleyball squad faced off against no. 6-ranked Loyola Chicago in a three-set clash at Curry Arena for senior day, honoring Royals seniors Sev Allton, Brian Camacho, Matteo Falleri, Matthew Pilch, and Jackson Maples. Loyola's execution proved too much for Queens as the Ramblers took home the match 3-0, with set scores of 25-14, 25-13, and 25-18.
SET ONE
Both teams came out firing. Loyola's starters—led by Parker Van Buren and Daniel Fabikovic—quickly asserted control with early kills, including a powerful strike by Fabikovic off an assist from Ryan McElligott. Queens fought back with contributions from Matthew Pilch and Nathan Vaupel, but a series of Royals miscues allowed Loyola to pull away and secure the first set, 25-14.
SET TWO
Queens attempted to regroup by injecting fresh legs like Cayden Marin and Matteo Falleri into the rotation. However, Loyola maintained its intensity. With Brad Bell and Parker Van Buren continuing their aggressive play, and a couple of timely service aces, the Ramblers steadily extended their lead. Despite a rally by Queens, Loyola closed the set 25-13.
SET THREE
In the deciding set, Queens made one last push with adjustments, bringing Wilson Buchanan into the mix. Yet, Loyola's offensive effort proved insurmountable, as key plays from Jake Read and a well-timed kill by Van Buren helped Loyola finish off the third set 25-18 and complete the sweep.
MATCH RUNDOWN
- Matthew Pilch finished with seven kills and kept Queens in the game early on.
- Sev Allton, recording 7 kills while also providing solid defensive plays.
- Nathan Vaupel added two kills and worked diligently on both ends of the court.
POSTGAME COMMENTS
"I think it was fitting that we had two seniors playing their final match inside Levine, leading us in kills," head coach Jeremy Price said. "It was fitting for Sev Allton and Matthew Pilch to finish off their home careers like that... we have a couple more weekends to go and we hope to use this experience to springboard off of... Loyola came in, really locked in and played very well against us today."
UP NEXT
Next, the Royals face off against Lindenwood on the road on April 10 with an 8 PM EST start time.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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