BRISTOL, Tn. – The Quincy University Men's Volleyball team opened its season with a doubleheader on the road at King University in Tennessee.

The Hawks captured their first match of the day and season over the Saints of Limestone University in a thrilling five set victory (20-25, 25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 15-11) lead by a career record setting performance from Raje Alleyne.

In the second match, QU fell to the host Tornado of King University three sets to one (25-21, 19-25, 25-27, 22-25) to even their record at 1-1 on the young season.

Match 1 vs Limestone University

Set 1

Eddie Jakubauskas registered the first kill of the season for Quincy to knot things at 1-1 early in the set. The Hawks trailed for most of the set but remained within striking distance, coming within one at 19-20 on an ace from Anthonie Goedheer. It was all Saints after that taking five of the next six points to win the set 25-20 and take a 1-0 advantage in the match.

Set 2

QU took advantage of some sloppy play by LU to lead early on 4-3 thanks to three service errors and an attacking error by the opposition. The Hawks maintained a short lead until mid-set where they opened a five-point advantage at 19-14 thanks to two more Saints errors and a kill from Roman Deryckere. Quincy rolled on to win the set 25-18.

Set 3

All knotted up at 1-1 in the match the third set was tightly contested throughout nearly all of its duration. Down 15-16, sophomore Raje Alleyne collected the next three kills for the Hawks for his career best 24 kills in a match. His third kill, down one at 17-18, ignited a five-point rally to give QU a 22-18 lead. Quincy took care of business from there closing out the set 25-20.

Set 4

The beginning of the set was a back-and-forth affair with both teams searching for traction to start a run. Limestone University found that traction first, spreading a 13-10 advantage midway through the set. QU pulled within a point on several occasions but couldn't ever close the gap as the Saints went on to take the set 25-19 forcing a deciding fifth set.

Set 5

QU got out to an all-important early lead 3-0 in the short fifth set. The Hawks stretched the lead to 5-1 on back-to-back kills from Keegan Carey and looked primed to take the final set. LU fought their way back to within one at 11-10, but their hopes of a comeback were stomped out by three straight points for Quincy to bring up match point at 14-11. Keegan Carey struck home the final kill to win the set 15-11, and the match for the Hawks.

Match 2 vs King University

Set 1

Fresh off a career best performance in kills in the matinee match earlier in the day against Limestone University, Raje Alleyne collected the first of his team leading 17 kills to put the Hawks up early 3-2 over the Tornado. Later in the set, QU trailed by two at 15-17 but tied it up at 17-17 on a KU error and a kill from Logan Gieseke. QU pressed on to win eight of the next 11 points and take the set 25-21.

Set 2

Quincy took a three-point advantage early in the set at 7-4 on a kill from Roman Dryckere. The Tornado scored four straight to take a four point advantage at 14-10. The Hawks never drew closer than two in the set after that point dropping the frame to King University 25-19 and drawing the match at 1-1.

Set 3

The third set was a barnburner that never saw a team lead by more than three at any point in the set. It was the Hawks who held that only three-point advantage at 14-11 nearing the halfway mark of the set. KU came back to tie it at 14-14 and the joust for position ensued from there. QU fought but came up just short, falling to the Tornado 27-25 in the set.

Set 4

Looking to stave off a loss and force a fifth deciding set, the Hawks came out firing to take an early 4-3 lead on a kill from Keegan Carey. The set was very tight up until Quincy opened a slight advantage at 21-19 on a rill from Roman Deryckere causing KU to call a timeout. After the timeout, the Tornado got a kill and the Hawks had two errors to give King a 22-21 lead prompting a timeout from QU. Things didn't go Quincy's way after the timeout and King University came away with the 25-22 set win and 3-1 victory in the match.

The Hawks play again tomorrow afternoon in another doubleheader. First, they face Lincoln Memorial University at 1:00 p.m. and then University of Charleston at 3:30 both at King University in Bristol, Tn.
 

Match 1 Leaders:
Raje Alleyne – 24 Kills
Jonas Holzinger – 48 Assists
Dominik Wagiel – 9 Digs
Roman Deryckere, Logan Gieseke – 4 Blocks
 

Match 2 Leaders:
Raje Alleyne – 17 Kills
Jonas Holzinger – 46 Assists
Dominik Wagiel – 13 Digs
Roman Deryckere – 6 Blocks