AMHERST, N.Y. – Daemen College volleyball and cross country standouts Ashley Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary’s of Lancaster) and Kevin Roginson (Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) have been named the College’s Student-Athletes of the Month presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC for October 2016.
Drzymala, a sophomore outside hitter on the volleyball team, led the Wildcats to an 11-1 record during the month of October. After suffering a 3-2 loss to New York Institute of Technology on Oct. 1, the Wildcats went undefeated the rest of the month—-posting 11-straight wins. The 11-match win streak is tied for the fifth-longest streak in the country among NCAA Division II teams. It is Daemen's first double-digit streak since posting 15-straight wins during the 2013 season.
Drzymala put up impressive numbers during the month. She led the team in kills seven times over the 12 matches and also posted eight double-doubles (kills/digs). She opened the month with a career-high 25 kills and a season-high 17 digs in the 3-2 loss to NYIT, and followed up with 17 kills and 11 digs in a 3-0 win over Long Island University—Post a day later. Additional highlights of the month included strong showings during wins over Franklin Pierce University, Mercy College and Saint Anselm College at the midway point of the month. She totaled 19 kills and 13 digs against FPU, 17 kills and five digs against Mercy and 20 kills and 10 digs against Saint Anselm—which closed out the month of October atop the Northeast-10 Conference standings (18-4, 8-1).
She closed out the month with four-straight double-doubles—including a 17-kill / 11-dig effort in a 3-2 win over LIU—Post and 12-kill / 12-dig performance in a commanding 3-0 win over NYIT. The win over LIU—Post secured the Wildcats their first-ever East Coast Conference Tournament bid. Her efforts this past weekend earned her ECC Player of the Week honors, marking the first time she has collected the honor.
During the month she averaged 14.8 kills and 11.0 digs per match, and also posted a .246 hitting percentage and 23 service aces. She has racked up 13 double-doubles this year (26 career) and the Wildcats are 9-4 this season when she registers a double-double.
Drzymala's team-high 330 kills are good for second place in the conference. She also ranks fourth in the conference in kills per set (3.40) and in total attack attempts (822). She has registered a team-high 41 service aces, which puts her second in the ECC. Additionally, she ranks 11th in digs (251) and 13th in hitting percentage (.226) among all players in the league.
With just three regular-season matches remaining, Daemen sits alone atop the ECC standings (19-6, 10-1). The Wildcats return to action Saturday (Nov. 5) when they host the University of Bridgeport in a key league tilt. Bridgeport, the four-time defending ECC Tournament champion, entered the week in second place with an 8-2 conference record. Daemen posted a 3-1 victory over the Purple Knights earlier this year at Bridgeport.
Roginson collects Athlete of the Month honors for the second-straight month. A junior, he was Daemen’s top finisher in all three races the Wildcats took part in last month. He has now been Daemen’s top runner in all six races this fall.
The highlight of the month came on Oct. 22 when he registered the best-ever individual finish by a Daemen runner at the ECC Men's Cross Country Championship. His effort led the Wildcats to a third-place showing at the event—equaling Daemen's best finish at the ECC Championship since the Wildcats first took part in 2013.
Roginson crossed the finish line at the ECC’s in 26:21.6—good enough for fifth place. The previous-best finish by a Daemen runner at the event came last year when Jeremy Rushok finished eighth. It was the fourth top-10 finish for Roginson this season. It also marked the second-straight year he has posted a top-10 finish at the ECC Championship, as he placed ninth last year with a time of 26:25.2. His effort earned him first-team all-conference honors, making him the program's first-ever first-team all-conference performer.
The ECC Championship was hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College and took place on the same course where Robinson set a program-record (25:32.6) en route to a first-place showing at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational in September.
Roginson opened the month by placing eighth out of 107 runners at the Lake Erie Storm Invitational. Roginson crossed the finish line in 26:44.27—just 13 seconds shy of a top-five finish. A week later he led Daemen to a third place showing (out of six non-NCAA Division I teams) at the Canisius Alumni Classic held at Delaware Park. The race featured 11 total teams, including five NCAA Division I affiliates. The individual results included all 138 entrants regardless of affiliation. Robinson finished in 26th place with a time of 26:15.8.
Daemen’s cross country teams return to action this weekend (Nov. 5) when it takes part in the NCAA Division II East Regional in Hopkinton, N.H.
