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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
VB Recap vs. Gannon 9.20
3
Winner Gannon GAN 11-1, 0-0 PSAC
0
Daemen DAE 6-5, 0-0 ECC
Winner
Gannon GAN
11-1, 0-0 PSAC
3
Final
0
Daemen DAE
6-5, 0-0 ECC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Gannon GAN 25 25 25 (3)
Daemen DAE 21 22 20 (0)

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

Daemen Battles Tough But Falls To Gannon 3-0

AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen College women's volleyball team fell in straight sets to Gannon University (21-25, 22-25, 20-25) in non-conference action, tonight at Lumsden Gymnasium.  

With the loss, Daemen drops to 6-5 on the season.  Tonight's match marked the ninth time the two teams have faced off; with the win the Golden Knights extend their winning streak to six consecutive games against the Wildcats.  The last time Daemen defeated Gannon was September 1, 1998.  GU is now 11-1 on the year after posting an impressive 24-11 mark in 2015 when their season ended to eventual national champions, Wheeling Jesuit University. 

Sophomore Ashley Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) led the Daemen offense with 13 kills which tied for the match-high with Gannon's Kelsey Ansec (Solon, Ohio).  The younger Drzymala added eight digs and two service aces in the losing effort. 

Alongside Ansec, Beka Smith (Churchville, N.Y.) and Hannah Kren (Waukesha, Wis.) posted nine and eight kills, respectively.  Sophomore Carolyn Knollman (Cincinnati, Ohio) paced the Golden Knights with a match-high 37 assists.  Libero Sara Crandall (Cattaraugus, N.Y.) had a strong defensive showing with 15 digs.

The Wildcats had a 20-17 advantage in the opening set, showing promising and talented play against a mature and strong Gannon squad.  GU rallied to score six straight points for the come-from-behind victory. Middle blocker Lauren Beck (Chardon, Ohio) nailed down two kills to close the set.

The two teams went back-and-forth early in the second set to sit tied at an 8-8 standstill.  However, Gannon capitalized on Daemen errors to take the 15-10 lead.   The Wildcats battled back once again, evening the score at 17-17 off of a kill by Cristina Apostol (Bucharest, Romania) and two Drzymala service aces.  Kren, a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Assocation (AVCA) All-America honorable mention selection, recorded two kills in the last six points to push the Golden Knights to success.

In the final set, GU continued to show why they are receiving votes in the latest AVCA NCAA Division II national poll.  Daemen was defeated 25-20 in the closing set as the Golden Knights finished the match ahead of the Wildcats in every statistical category.

The middle-blocking duo of Apostol and Courtney Bernard (Lancaster, Ohio / Fairfield) both posted three blocks in the loss. Amber Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y. / St. Mary's of Lancaster) and Jess Kranz (Depew, N.Y. / St. Mary's of Lancaster) tallied 11 and nine digs respectively in a tough defensive showing.

The Wildcats open the East Coast Conference segment of their 2016 schedule this weekend against hosts Molloy College and Queens College (Sept. 24, 25).  The Wildcats are set to take the court at 12:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen women's volleyball team, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenVB on Twitter.
 
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