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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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VB recap vs. LIU Post
3
Winner Daemen DAE 17-6, 9-1 ECC
2
LIU Post LIUP 10-12, 3-6 ECC
Winner
Daemen DAE
17-6, 9-1 ECC
3
Final
2
LIU Post LIUP
10-12, 3-6 ECC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Daemen DAE 25 25 21 15 18 (3)
LIU Post LIUP 19 20 25 25 16 (2)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Lea Sobieraski, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Wildcats Clinch First-Ever ECC Tournament Berth With Epic Five-Set Win

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – The Daemen College women's volleyball team secured its first postseason berth at the NCAA Division II level in today's five-set win over host LIU Post.  The two teams battled to force a deciding fifth set in today's East Coast Conference match-up at the Pratt Recreation Center.  Daemen extends its winning streak to nine-straight after defeating the Pioneers (25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 15-25, 18-16)
 
With the victory today, Daemen improved to 17-6 overall and 9-1 in ECC action.  LIU Post dropped to 10-12 overall and 3-6 in league play.  Today's match marked the eighth time the two teams have faced-off, with the win Daemen even the all-time record up 4-4.
 
Sophomore Ashley Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y. / St. Mary's of Lancaster) paced the Wildcats with a team-high 17 kills and added 11 digs for a double-double.  Amber Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y. / St. Mary's of Lancaster) also posted a double-double with 16 digs and 11 kills.  Redshirt sophomore Courtney Scanlan (Ellicottville, N.Y. / Stony Brook University) and freshman Meghan Ballou (Eden, N.Y. / Eden) each posted double-digit kills.  Scanlan recorded 16 kills and three blocks, while Ballou registered 14 kills and a team-high 4 blocks.
 
Freshman Bailey Dolegowski (Marilla, N.Y. / St. Mary's of Lancaster) handed out a match-high 58 assists, ousting her season-high 57.  Dolegowski also added 12 digs in the victory, good for her ninth career double-double.  Libero Kailey Ballou led the Wildcats in digs with 17.
 
Danielle Valenza (Hauppage, N.Y.) had a match-high 22 kills, and a team-high 13 digs to lead the Pioneers.  Rachel Londot (Utica, Ohio) and Taryn McCullouch (Buena Park, Calif) paced the Post offense, registering 12 and nine kills respectively.  Londot also had a match-high five service aces, and McCullouch had a match-high nine blocks.  Sophomore Giulia Genna (Rome, Italy) dished out 30 helpers and junior Indira Rojas (Coamo, Puerto Rico) tallied 13 digs in the loss. 
 
In the opening set, Daemen scored the first six points to take an early lead, which included two kills from Meghan Ballou.  The Wildcats continued to build on their lead, putting together a 7-3 run, a kill by Ashley Drzymala capped the run, Daemen led 13-3.  LIU Post cut the lead 18-9 off of a kill and service ace from Londot.  However, Daemen responded with three straight points on the serve of Ashley Drzymala resulting in a 10-point advantage. The Pioneers rattled off four straight points to cut the lead to 24-19, forcing Daemen to call a timeout, but a kill from Amber Drzymala ended the rally and gave the Wildcats a 25-19 victory.
 
After trading points in the start of the second set, Daemen scored four straight points ignited by a kill from Scanlan and two Megan Ballou service aces to take the 6-3 advantage.  The Wildcats capitalized on four consecutive Pioneer errors, increasing their edge 15-8.  Daemen was forced to call a timeout after a 4-0 Post spurt, narrowing the margin 15-12.  Scanlan nailed down two kills to help Daemen widen the score 20-14.  The Pioneers battled back within four, but Daemen finished out the set 25-20. 
 
Daemen broke open the third set with three straight points on the serve of Dolegowski, but LIU took advantage of Wildcat mistakes, evening the score 3-3.  A 6-2 Pioneer run, which featured kills from Londont, Valenza, and Genna, gave Post the 9-5 lead.  The teams continued to evenly battle back and forth, with the Pioneers still on top 15-10.  Valenza scored two straight points, compelling Daemen to take a time-out, the Wildcats answered back but still trailed 18-13.  Daemen closed in on LIU Post 20-17, off of the hard-hitting swing of Ashley Drzymala.  The Wildcats narrowed the score 23-21, but it was not enough to halt the Pioneers who went on to win the set 25-21.
 
Both teams came out fighting in the fourth set as the score remained even 5-5.  The two continued to trade points back-and-forth throughout the contest, they remained tied 12-12.  Daemen called a timeout after Post took the two-point advantage 14-12.  The Pioneers continued to take control, pushing their lead 18-12 which featured two Daemen errors.  The Wildcats would never catch the Pioneers, they finished the set 25-15 off of a kill by Londot.
 
The Pioneers jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth and final set, forcing Daemen to take a timeout.  Two errors by the Wildcats followed by a kill from Kassie Akouri-Tejedor (North Miami Beach, Fla.)  gave Post the 8-1 edge, but Daemen responded with three straight points to trail 8-4.  Daemen forced a LIU Post timeout after lessening the Pioneer lead 13-11.  The score was even 14-14 after Post committed three straight slipups.  Ashley Drzymala hammered down a kill for the 15-14 advantage, but the Pioneers used a Daemen service error to even the score once again.  Daemen broke the 16-16 tie off of a kill from Amber Drzymala.  The Pioneers were unable to answer back, the Wildcats finished the set and match 18-16.
 
Daemen returns to action tomorrow (Oct. 30) when it takes part in a tri-match at N.Y. Institute of Technology.  Daemen will face NYIT in an East Coast Conference match at 11:00 a.m., followed by a non-league match against Southern Connecticut State University of the Northeast-10.
 
For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen women's volleyball team, follow@DaemenAthletics and @DaemenVB on Twitter.
 
 
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