Daemen University Athletics

AMHERST, N.Y. – Redshirt sophomore Kassandra Nolet (Fort Erie, Ont.) of the women’s cross country team and sophomore Hannah McKee (East Highland, Calif.) of the women’s volleyball team have been named the Daemen College Student-Athletes of the Month presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC for October, 2019.

Nolet was the top Daemen runner in each of the team’s two races last month. She opened the month by placing 39th out of 128 runners at the Canisius Alumni Classic with a time of 20:12.7—which ranks as her second fastest time for a 5K race over her two-year career. She capped the month with another sub-21 minute effort during the East Coast Conference Championship held on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan College. Nolet placed 13th out of 77 runners with a time of 20:43.10. Her 13th place finish earned her second-team All-ECC honors. The top seven finishers earn first-team all-conference, while runners eight through 14 garner second-team honors. It marks the second-straight year Nolet has finished among the top-20 runners at the ECC Championship, as she placed 20th last year with a time of 20:49.6.

Nolet has now been Daemen's top finisher in all five races this season. She opened the year with a career-best time for a 6K race (24:37) and placed 14th out of 118 runners at the Doug Watts Open hosted by Edinboro University. The 14th place showing is the highest of her career. Two weeks later she registered a career-best time for a 5K race (19:57.4) and placed 24th out of 221 runners at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational hosted by Roberts Wesleyan.

Nolet has competed in 11 of a possible 12 races over her two-year career and has been among Daemen's top-five finishers in each of her 11 career races.

The Daemen cross country teams close out the 2019 season this weekend (Nov. 9) when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to take part in the National Collegiate Athletic Conference (NCAA) Division II East Regional. The regional is being hosted by Jefferson University.

McKee enjoyed an outstanding month with the women’s volleyball team, which went 4-3 during October.

After seeing limited playing time over the first 14 matches of the season, McKee emerged as one of the team’s key players last month. She averaged a team-high 36.9 assists per match (9.92 per set) and also contributed 52 digs.

She opened the month by totaling 44 assists during a weekend sweep of Queens College and Mercy College. The following weekend she helped the Wildcats split a pair of games during a trip to Connecticut. She registered a team-high 21 assists in a loss to the University of Bridgeport, before registering 46 assists and eight digs in a 3-1 win at Southern Connecticut State University. Her 38 kills then helped the Wildcats to a midweek sweep of rival Roberts Wesleyan College. McKee capped the month with two outstanding efforts in a pair of heartbreaking 3-2 losses to Saint Anselm College and East Coast Conference-leading Molloy College. She totaled 52 assists and a career-high 15 digs (her first career double-double) in the loss to St. Anselm, and followed up with a career-high 58 assists and 13 digs in the loss to Molloy.

McKee, who played at St. Martin’s University last fall, has played in 15 of Daemen’s 23 matches this year. She leads the team and ranks third among all ECC players in assists per set (8.39). She also ranks sixth on the team in total digs (71) and digs per set (1.73).

The women’s volleyball team returns to action Wednesday (Nov. 6) when it travels to Gannon University for a non-league match.

Additional student-athletes considered for Athlete of the Month honors included Maddie Flores (Seattle, Wash.) of the women’s soccer team and Paige Bartosz (West Seneca, N.Y.) of the women’s bowling team.