CONWAY, S.C. — Queens University of Charlotte women's volleyball battled back from an early deficit to force a decisive fifth set, but Coastal Carolina held on for a 3-2 victory (25-10, 23-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-11) Sunday afternoon at The HTC Center.
MATCH NOTES
- Coastal Carolina opened the match with a dominant 25-10 first-set victory, hitting .700 while Queens was held without an attacking advantage.
- Queens responded in the second set, overcoming an early deficit and battling through three ties and one lead change before closing out the frame, 25-23.
- The Royals used a late 5-0 run in the second set to erase a 20-15 deficit, pulling even at 20-20 before eventually taking a 24-23 lead and forcing the decisive point.
- Queens carried that momentum into the third set, battling through 14 ties and four lead changes before pulling away late.
- With the third set tied at 17-17, the Royals scored three straight points to take a 20-17 advantage. Queens eventually pushed ahead 24-22 before closing out the set, 25-23.
- Coastal Carolina answered in the fourth, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and eventually building a 14-6 advantage.
- Queens battled back from the eight-point deficit, cutting the margin to 14-10 and later pulling within two at 22-20 and 23-22, but Coastal Carolina forced a fifth set with a 25-23 win.
- Queens jumped ahead 3-0 in the fifth set behind kills from Emma Norris and Elizabeth Layson and a service ace from Marlee Cook.
- Coastal Carolina answered with an 8-3 run to take an 8-6 lead. Queens fought back to tie the set at 10-10, but the Chanticleers scored five of the final six points to secure the match.
TURNING POINT
With the match tied at 10-10 in the fifth set, Coastal Carolina used a pair of fortunate service aces to spark a 4-0 run and take a 14-10 lead. Queens answered with a kill from Elizabeth Layson to stay alive, but Coastal Carolina closed out the match on the following point, 15-11.
KEY STATS & NOTES
- Elizabeth Layson led Queens with 13 kills, adding 11 digs and three service aces.
- Emma Norris recorded 10 kills, four blocks and 12.5 points.
- Ella Hale contributed eight kills, 10 digs and a service ace.
- Layni Tobias posted six kills and four total blocks.
- Marlee Cook led the Royals with 20 assists and added a team-high and career-high five service aces and 10 digs.
- Megan Kelly added 14 assists and two service aces.
- Tilley Collins led Queens defensively with 12 digs.
- Camryn Teasley, Emma Norris, and Layni Tobias all registered a solo block each in the match.
- Queens finished with 46 kills, 41 assists, 11 service aces, 54 digs and eight total blocks.
- The Royals finished the match hitting .134, including a .227 hitting percentage in the fifth set.
- Queens held a 2-1 lead after winning the second and third sets, marking the first time this match that either team held a multi-set advantage.
- The match featured 25 ties and seven lead changes across five sets.
POSTMATCH COMMENTS
"We did a great job of fighting through adversity and grinding out points through lineup switches. We were able to find some rhythm," head coach Matt Stolz said. "I think Ella Hale did an incredible job today passing and helping the team flow through the offense. I think our setters did a great job, and we had 11 service aces, so our service pressure was really good.
"We need to improve on our overall start to matches, especially as we head into a very competitive second-weekend tournament. All in all, I think we got better from yesterday, and I'm looking forward to getting back in the gym Tuesday and Wednesday before we compete against NC A&T on Thursday."
UP NEXT
Queens returns to action next week at the Furman Invitational against NC A&T on Sept. 3.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Queens women's volleyball team on Facebook, X, and Instagram throughout the 2026 season to get the latest news and updates. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok by searching @QueensAthletics.
