A system (10) and method for cylindrically forming and quenching glass sheets includes a furnace (12), a bending station (16) at the exit end of the furnace for providing cylindrical bending, a roll bending station (18) located externally of the furnace downstream from its exit end and having a lower roll conveyor (20) and an upper roll former (21) with complementary cylindrical shapes to further cylindrically bend the glass sheet, and a quench station 24 to which the formed glass sheets are conveyed for rapid cooling to provide toughening.