CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 5-seeded Anderson University volleyball team suffered a 3-1 (12-25, 18-25, 25-19, 24-26) loss to fourth-seeded Queens in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, Tuesday night at Curry Arena.
After the two teams split the regular-season meetings, with each defending its home court, Anderson slipped to 19-12 on the season with its first setback in seven outings. The Trojans were unranked in last week's NCAA Regional rankings, but defeated two teams in the poll on the final weekend of the regular season. With the loss to Queens, AU will have to wait until Wednesday afternoon's regional rankings to learn of any possible at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Queens (20-8) snapped a three-game skid with the victory, while avenging a loss suffered to the Trojans in the regular-season-finale just three days ago. The Royals advanced to meet top-seeded Wingate in the tourney semifinals Friday.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior Marissa Mitter led the Trojans with 15 kills and added 15 digs for her 20th double-double of the season, while Rachel Burts posted 13 kills and three total blocks. Junior Serena Jackson tallied nine kills, with freshman Kathryn Hughes chipping in seven kills. Freshman Emily Conlin notched her 19th double-double of the campaign with 42 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore Jayln Knight recorded a match-high 23 digs, with sophomore Emily Conard adding 20 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Royals hit an impressive .750 in the opening moments and used nine unanswered points as part of a 13-1 outburst to build a double-digit cushion, at 17-4 and take command of the set.
The Trojans settled down and countered with a 7-2 surge to trim the deficit to single digits (19-11), but could get no closer as Queens answered by closing the set with a 6-1 run and hitting .545 for the set.
Second Set
The Trojans reclaimed the momentum by scoring the first four points of the second set, with Burts leading the way with a pair of kills and a block. The Royals closed within one on three occasions before knotting the score at six apiece, while back-to-back kills from Jackson rebuilt the Black and Gold lead back to two.
The score was knotted four more times before Queens claimed its first lead of the frame, at 14-13, and pushed out to a four-point edge. The Trojans pulled within 19-17 but were unable to overtake the Royals down the stretch, as Queens closed the set with a 6-1 outburst.
Third Set
After the Royals scored the first point of the set – their only lead of the frame - AU responded by jumping out to a 5-2 lead by taking advantage of the Royals' miscues. But Queens chipped away and evened the score at five apiece before the Trojans claimed an 18-10 lead behind Mitter's four kills during the run. The Trojan advantage never dipped below five down the stretch, as AU claimed the six-point win.
Fourth Set
The fourth set was knotted 13 times and featured six lead changes, with neither team able to build more than a three-point lead. The Trojans held a late 21-18 edge, but the Royals posted three unanswered points to even the score at 21 apiece before Mitter's third kill of the frame gave AU its final lead. Queens responded with two straight points and from there the score was deadlocked two more times, with the Royals outlasting AU for the narrow victory.
NOTABLES
• Conlin has recorded 11 straight double-doubles and has 19 on the season.
• Conlin has posted at least 30 assists in 26 matches this season and has reached the 40+ assist plateau on 16 occasions.
• Conlin moved into sixth place in the school record books for assists in a single season with 1,201.
• Conard has recorded double-figure digs in 28 matches this season, including nine of the last 10 and 23 of the Trojans' last 25 matches.
• Mitter has recorded 20 double-doubles this season, including seven straight.
• Mitter has reached double-figure kills on 24 occasions, including each of the last nine outings.
• Rachel Burts has recorded double-figure kills in 14 matches this season, including 13 of the last 17.
• Burts has moved into eighth place in the school record books for total blocks in a single season with 121.
• Burts surpassed former Trojan great Ashley Prince for second place on the AU record books with 85 block assists on the season.
