OPENING SERVE
Scores: Queens 3 | Edward Waters 0; Queens 3 | Barton 1
Records: Queens (4-1 overall, 0-0 MIVA) | Edward Waters (0-1 overall, 0-0 SIAC) | Barton (1-1 overall, 0-0 Conference Carolinas)
Location: Levine Center (Charlotte, N.C.)

THE SHORT STORY
The Queens University of Charlotte men's volleyball team closed out a perfect Sunday at the Levine Center, earning a pair of nonconference victories over Edward Waters and Barton. The Royals opened the day with a straight-set win against Edward Waters before closing the tri-match with a four-set victory over Barton, improving to 4-1 on the season.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Queens hit .309 as a team against Edward Waters, recording 33 kills with just 12 errors in the three-set sweep.
• Chance Shampine led the Royals in the opener with 10 kills, while Adamah Jackson hit .833 with five kills on six attempts.
• Casey Maas and Kaden Saurer combined for 25 kills in the sweep, as Queens tallied six service aces.
• In the nightcap against Barton, Queens finished with a .210 team hitting percentage and totaled 50 kills across four sets.
• Maas paced the Royals with 15 kills against the Bulldogs, while Shampine added 12 and Saurer chipped in 10.
• Queens recorded seven service aces and 14 total blocks in the four-set victory.

NOTABLE MOMENTS

• Queens opened the day with a 25-22 first-set win over Edward Waters before pulling away in the second and third sets to complete the sweep.
• The Royals were most efficient in the second set against Edward Waters, hitting .692 to take a commanding 25-14 win.
• The evening match against Barton featured 33 tie scores and 18 lead changes, highlighted by a 28-26 Queens victory in the opening set.
• After dropping the third set, the Royals responded by hitting .355 in the fourth to close out the match with a 25-18 decision.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Caleb Williams directed the offense in both matches, totaling 30 assists on the day while adding a service ace against Barton.
• Nathan Vaupel anchored the net defensively, finishing the day with seven total blocks, including five against Barton.
• Queens totaled 45 digs in the Barton match, led by Kaden Saurer's match-high 15.
• Barton was led offensively by Jacob Martinez with 12 kills, while Edward Waters was paced by De'Aundre Williams with nine kills in the opener.

REMARKS FROM COACH PELUSO
"Really happy with the two wins today for the players," Coach Peluso said. "I thought our energy and focus were strong from the start, and we did a good job executing the game plan, especially in key moments. We competed well, communicated, and made adjustments when we needed to, which showed a lot of growth. There's still plenty to work on. We'll clean up some execution details, tighten things up defensively, and focus on being more consistent for full matches. As we head into a couple weeks on the road, preparation and recovery will be big points of emphasis. The plan going forward is to take it one match at a time, stay disciplined, and keep building on what we're doing well. Road matches are always a challenge, but we're excited for the opportunity and confident in the direction we're heading."

UP NEXT
Queens heads out on the road to face St. Francis on Saturday, January 24. 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals men's volleyball team on Instagram and Twitter/X to stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics to stay updated on all the Royals sports teams in action by searching @QueensAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.