CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bring on the Bobcats! Queens volleyball (11-7, 20-9) is on their way to top-seeded Lees-McRae (18-0, 23-7) Friday night after dominating Belmont Abbey (11-7, 18-11), 3-0 (25-19; 25-20; 25-14), in the quarterfinals of the Conference Carolinas Tournament.

The Crusaders were no match for the Royals' high-powered offense that featured five players with five-plus kills, three of them with a hitting percentage over .364.

High-percentage attacks are exactly what Queens Volleyball Head Coach Angela McGuire was looking for from her team.

"We came into tonight's match focusing very heavily of how dominant we wanted to be with our ball control and we did just that," said McGuire.

Brittany Harvey (Matthews, N.C., Sun Valley ) and Brittney Barren (Ham Lake, Minn., Blaine) had big nights for the Royals. Harvey tallied 10 kills on 15 attempts to hit .600 while accumulating five total blocks (one solo, four assists) -- more than the entire Crusaders team. Barren was lethal on the attack as well, providing eight kills on 11 attempts to hit a match- and career-high .667 to go along with four digs and three blocks (one solo, two assists).

A highly-energetic crowd of over 250 fans rallied the Royals through several competitive volleys. The crowd noise peeked on a Royals point that followed a long volley in which sophomore libero Sarah Malpass (Gainesville, Fla., Gainesville) collided with the stands after diving for a loose pass.

Averaging .28 aces per set on the season, Malpass provided a spark to the Royals' offense with a match-high three aces while playing a stealthy libero with a match-high 12 digs.

Holding the Crusaders to just 17.67 points per set, the Royals were especially strong defending the serve.

"We committed just two serve reception errors (51 attempts, .962) and stayed in system defensively throughout the match," said McGuire. "I saw us play very confidently and it paid off in the end."

Directing the attack, Avery Moore (Arlington, Texas, Lamar) continued to fill the stat sheet -- posting a match-high 36 assists, two aces, four digs, and two blocking assists.

Today's win is the Royals' 20th of the season – a mark they have not hit since 1992 when they finished 22-15.

Advancing to the semifinals, the Royals will travel to Lees-McRae Friday night for a for a 6:30 match.

Already planning for the semifinals, McGuire gave a few thoughts about the upcoming match.

"We'll take to the road on Friday against a very strong offensive team in Lees-McRae. Our focus will be along the same lines as it was tonight with a stronger emphasis on offensive execution."