| THE LEAD |
| The Daemen College women's volleyball team wraps up their regular season with a pair of matches this week...the Wildcats travel to Rochester, N.Y. for a showdown against longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan College...Daemen can secure the outright regular season ECC title with a win Thursday before returning home for the regular season final vs. Mercy College on Sunday. |
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| GAME INFORMATION |
| Daemen vs. Roberts Wesleyan |
| Date:Â Thursday, November 10 |
Time:Â 7:00 p.m. |
Location:Â Voller Athletic Center - Rochester, N.Y. |
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| Daemen vs. Mercy |
| Date: Sunday, November 13 |
Time: 12:00 p.m. |
Location: Lumsden Gymasium - Amherst, N.Y. |
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| GAME LINKS |
| Daemen Roster |
Daemen Schedule |
Daemen Stats |
| Roberts Wesleyan Roster |
Roberts Wesleyan Schedule |
Roberts Wesleyan Stats |
| Mercy Roster |
Mercy Schedule |
Mercy Stats |
| Live Stats (vs. Roberts) |
Live Video (vs. Roberts) |
| Live Stats (vs. Mercy) |
Live Video (vs. Mercy) |
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| SOCIAL MEDIA |
| Daemen Twitter:Â |
@DaemenAthletics, @DaemenVB |
| Daemen Hashtags:Â |
#DCWildcatNation, #WNYsD2Team, #LiveBreatheDaemen, #beFIERCE |
| Roberts Wesleyan Twitter:Â |
@RWCREDHAWKS, @RWCVB |
| Roberts Wesleyan Hashtags:Â |
#goredhawks |
| Mercy Twitter: |
@MercyMavericks |
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| ON THE SIDELINES |
Daemen: Â Stephanie Albano enters her first season as the head women's volleyball coach at Daemen...she was promoted to the position after serving as the Associate Head Coach in 2015...a Western New York native, she led Lancaster High School to the 2004 New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA championship...she went on to help the University of North-Carolina-Chapel Hill capture two Atlantic Coast Conference championships throughout her college career (2005-2009)...previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo in 2014...helped the Bulls to a 17-15 record and the program's first Mid-American Conference Tournament appearance since 2010...began her coaching debut at Canisius College as an assistant from 2009-10...later was the Associate Head Coach at Medaille from 2012-2014...helped the Mavericks earn their first ever AMCC championship and NCAA tournament appearance..assisted by 2014 Daemen graduate Kaley Vazquez and Don Gleason.
Roberts Wesleyan: Â Doug Porterfield entered his second season as the Redhawks head coach in 2016...in his first year Roberts went 2-23 overall and 2-14 in ECC action.
Mercy:  Georgia Efthalitsides began her first season at the helm for the Mavericks…a 2006 Mercy College graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice…currently, she also serves as the head coach and club director of Alpha Gamma Juniors Volleyball Club in Sleepy Hollow…previously, she served as the head volleyball coach at The College of New Rochelle (2009-2014)…led the Blue Angels to four conference championships, which included two undefeated seasons…named Coach of the Year for both seasons…starting her collegiate coaching career with a one-year stint at Nyack College as an assistant coach…also held the position of varsity head coach at The Ursuline School (2006-2011). |
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| DAEMEN SCOUTING REPORT (20-6, 11-1 ECC) |
| Daemen returns seven players to the 2016 squad while adding seven new faces...four starters return as well as the Wildcats' top libero...the Wildcats were recently voted to finish fourth in the East Conference this season, according to the ECC preseason poll, after compiling a 12-17 overall and 7-9 conference record in 2015...ECC Rookie of the Year Ashley Drzymala, returns as a powerhouse outside hitter after a stellar freshman season...Drzymala led the league in both kills per set (3.60) and service aces per set (0.51) while racking up 12 double-doubles...the Wildcats also welcome back her sister, senior leader Amber Drzymala who finished second on the team in total attacks (934), kills (257) and kills per set (2.60)...junior Katie Mckrell returns at the setting position...the three-time ECC Setter of the Week in 2015 became the fifth player in team history to reach over 1,000 helpers in a single season...rounding out the returning starters is junior middle blocker/right-side hitter Rachel Stephenson who registered 31 blocks, ranking second behind graduate Ye Wang in 2015...sophomore libero Kailey Ballou is back after a strong defensive showing in 2015, highlighting the season with a pair of 22-dig performances...seven newcomers include four who have state championships under their belt, a Division I transfer, a strong setter from a commanding Colorado program, and a 6-foot-2 Romanian Junior National Team player...after going 8-6 in the month of September, the Wildcats finished October with an impressive 11-1 mark for an overall 20-6 record…Daemen's last loss was to defending East Region champions NYIT on October 1…since dropping that match, they have won 12 consecutive contests placing them at the top of the ECC leader board…the current win streak is Daemen's first double-figure win streak since producing 15 straight during the 2013 season…Daemen secured its first postseason berth at the NCAA Division II level after defeating host LIU Post in an epic five-set battle Oct. 29…they followed up the win with a pair of straight-set wins over host NYIT and non-conference opponent Southern Connecticut State on Oct. 30…the Wildcats were recently ranked No. 2 in the first NCAA Division II East Region poll behind the NYIT Bears…Daemen won its 12th-straight match downing four-time defending ECC Champion Bridgeport...with the 3-0 sweep, the Wildcats clinched at least a share of the ECC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ECC Tournament…by earning the No. 1 seed, Daemen was awarded the right to host the tournament which will take place at Lumsden Gymnasium on November 18-19…Ashley Drzymala led the Wildcats with a team-high 14 kills and three service aces, she added three blocks and nine digs in the sweep…Cristina Apostol, who was named the ECC Rookie of the Week, hammered home 10 kills in the win over Bridgeport…Daemen is one of just two teams to have multiple players earn the award, and Daemen's four total Rookie of the Week selections leads the league…Bailey Dolegowski, ECC Setter of the Week, posted her 11th double-double, dishing out a match-high 35 assists, while adding 11 digs in the victory…this was Dolegowski's fourth weekly honor this season…the Drzymala sisters continue to shine both offensively and defensively this season… Ashley leads the team in kills (344) and kills per set (3.44), ranking second and fourth respectively, among all ECC players…she also sits third in the league in service aces per set with .44, she has a team-high 44 aces ...Amber ranks fifth in the conference in kills (301) and tenth in total digs (287) making her one of just three players to rank in the top 10 of both categories…Dolegowski has paced the Daemen setters with 879 assists thus far...she ranks third in the ECC in assists per set (9.35) and fifth in service aces per set (.40)…she has also registered 11 double-doubles this season…Megan Ballou has come on of late with 92 of her 132 kills coming during the team's 12-match winning streak…she leads the team in blocks (40) and has been an ECC Rookie of the Week selection…Kailey Ballou has stepped up defensively, totaling 250 digs this season and posting 12-straight matches with at least 10 digs…additional production has come from Courtney Scanlan (200 kills, .228 hitting percentage), Cristina Apostol (112 kills, 36 blocks) Sydney MacInnis (188 assists). |
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| ROBERTS WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT (8-14, 5-7 ECC) |
| Roberts Wesleyan returns 10 players from its 2015 team which went 2-23 overall and 2-14 in East Coast Conference play… Doug Porterfield entered his second season as head coach and welcomed two freshman to the 2016 squad…the Redhawks were predicted to finish tied for seventh in the ECC preseason poll…several impact players are back including Courtney Taylor, Elisabeth Rivera, and Shelby Strasbaugh…junior outside hitter Taylor returns as the crucial offensive threat, after registering a team-high 250 kills on the 2015 season…Rivera turned in a stellar sophomore campaign as the main setter, she ranked first on the team in assists (605) and service aces (20)…Strasbaugh is back as the primary defensive specialist, after ranking second on the squad in digs with 179 last year…After going 5-7 in the month of September, the Redhawks finished October 3-6, for an overall 8-14 mark and 5-7 ECC record…they currently rank fifth in the league behind LIU Post…Roberts fell to Daemen in the first meeting of the season back in October, 3-1…Anjali Thomson played strong defensively totaling seven blocks, while Olivia Zureck led the team with 23 digs…RWC has lost their last three matches, most `recently to Bridgeport on November 4…Taylor led the Redhawks with nine kills while Rivera added 33 assists in the loss…she has paced the offense throughout the 2016 season with 754 assists, and ranks fourth in assists per set (9.25) in the conference…Olivia Zureck is the commanding defensive specialist with a team-high 389 digs, she ranks second in digs per set (4.85) and fourth in digs among all ECC players… Alexandra Tahauri, Kate Steger, and Courtney Taylor are the top offensive threats, posting 197, 168, and 161 total kills respectively…additionally Tahauri has recorded 237 digs thus far…Thomson continues her powerful presence at the net, with a team-leading 60 blocks. |
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| THE HISTORY |
| ALL-TIME: Â The series is tied 13-13 |
| Previous Meetings: |
| Oct. 4, 2016 - Daemen 3, Roberts 1 |
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| Oct. 12, 2015 - Daemen 3, Roberts 0 |
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| Oct. 20, 2015 - Daemen 3, Roberts 0 |
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| Sept. 16, 2014 - Roberts 3, Daemen 0 |
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| Oct. 15, 2014 – Roberts 3, Daemen 0 |
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| Oct. 2, 2013 – Daemen 3, Roberts 0 |
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| Oct. 29, 2013 - Daemen 3, Roberts 2 |
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| Sept. 25, 2012 - Daemen 3, Roberts 0 |
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| Oct. 27, 2012 - Roberts 3, Daemen 2 |
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| Oct. 5, 2011 - Daemen 3, Roberts 1 |
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| Oct. 25, 2011 - Daemen 3, Roberts 2 |
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| Nov. 8, 2011 - Daemen 3, Roberts 2 |
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| Sept. 18, 2010 - Roberts 3, Daemen 1 |
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| Oct. 19, 2010 - Daemen 3, Roberts 0 |
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| Aug. 22, 2009 - Daemen 3, Roberts 1 |
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| Oct. 20, 2009 - Daemen 3, Roberts 1 |
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| Sept. 17, 2008 - Roberts 3, Daemen 1 |
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| Oct. 14, 2008 - Daemen 3, Roberts 1 |
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| Oct. 2, 2007 - Roberts 3, Daemen 2 |
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| Oct. 23, 2007 - Roberts 3, Daemen 0 |
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| Aug. 26, 2006 - Roberts 3, Daemen 1 |
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| Sept. 19, 2006 - Roberts 3, Daemen 0 |
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| Oct. 17, 2006 - Roberts 3, Daemen 1Â |
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| Sept. 17, 2005 - Roberts 3, Daemen 1Â |
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| Oct. 5, 2005 - Roberts 3, Daemen 0 |
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| Oct. 25, 2005 - Roberts 3, Daemen 0 |
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| MERCY SCOUTING REPORT (4-18, 2-10) |
| The Mavericks returned nine players from last season, and welcomed two newcomers to the 2016 squad…Mercy was picked to finish seventh in the ECC in the preseason poll, they finished 7-26 overall and 2-14 in the league a year ago…leading the cast of returners is sophomore Peyton Olson who paced the team in kills in 2015 with 365…also back is junior Sa'Naya Johnson who was second on the team with 210 kills and 86 blocks in 32 matches…sophomore Brianna Heffernan is back after dominating the defense with 472 digs, while sophomore setters Brooke Runge and Toni Parente return after finishing with 329 and 306 assists respectively…In 2016 Mercy has posted a 4-10 overall record, and sit at 2-10 in the conference…Mercy was swept by Daemen in the first meeting of the season in mid-October…Olson led the way with a team-high 11 kills, while Heffernan added a team-high nine digs…Runge dished out 17 assists and had eight digs in the loss…the Mavericks snapped a 7-game losing streak in their most recent victory over Dominican last Saturday…Andrea Velasco had 13 kills and 16 digs for a double-double, while freshman Gabriella Fernandes added nine kills and 22 digs in the sweep…Olson holds a conference-best 3.74 kills per set and leads the Mavericks with 243 total kills…Velasco has a team-high 30 service aces and ranks second in kills with 157…Heffernan continues to control the defense, she ranks fifth in the league with 4.14 digs per set, and has a season-total 319 digs…Runge has paced the Maverick offense, dishing out a team-high 544 assists in 2016. |
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| THE HISTORY |
| ALL-TIME: |
| Previous Meetings: 5-2 |
| Oct. 15, 2016 - Daemen 3, Mercy 0 |
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| Sept. 26, 2015 - Daemen 3, Mercy 0 |
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| Oct. 25, 2015 - Daemen 3, Mercy 0Â |
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| Sept. 28, 2014 - Daemen 3, Mercy 0 |
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| Oct. 25, 2014 - Mercy 3, Daemen 1 |
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| Oct. 11, 2013 - Mercy 3, Daemen 1 |
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| Nov. 10, 2013 - Daemen 3, Mercy 1 |
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| SENIOR SALUTE |
| Sunday's game vs. Mercy marks the final regular season home contest in the career of Daemen seniosr Amber Drzymala and Alicia Contreras...they will be honored in a pre-game ceremony. |
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| Amber Drzymala (Sr., OH, West Seneca, N.Y.) |
Career Highlights (2013-16): Â 109 matches played, 98 matches started, 1109 digs, 970 kills, 132 service aces, 76 assists, 59 blocks, 27 double-doubles. Â En route to becoming only the third player in team history to reach 1000 digs and 1000 kills in a career. |
| Alicia Contreras (Sr., DS, Arcadia, Calif) |
Career Highlights (2014-16): 71 matches played, 209 sets played, 58 service aces, 139 digs |
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| ON THE HORIZON |
| By earning the No. 1 seed in the upcoming East Coast Conference Tournament, Daemen was awared the right to host the tournament which will take place at Lumsden Gymnasium November 18-19. Â There will be two semifinal games Friday, followed by the ECC Championship match on Saturday. Â More information to follow. |
