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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
3
Winner Daemen DAE 18-10, 12-1 ECC
2
Mercy MERW 13-16, 6-7 ECC
Winner
Daemen DAE
18-10, 12-1 ECC
3
Final
2
Mercy MERW
13-16, 6-7 ECC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Daemen DAE 20 23 25 25 15 (3)
Mercy MERW 25 25 11 22 10 (2)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Wildcats Outlast Mavericks To Clinch Outright Regular Season Title

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. - Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) and Allison Post (Windsor, Calif.) combined for 34 kills to help the Daemen College women's volleyball team rally for a 3-2 victory over Mercy College in an East Coast Conference match at Victory Gymnasium today. The Wildcats dropped the first two sets (20-25, 23-25), but righted the ship to take the next three (25-11, 25-22, 15-10). 

With the win, Daemen improved to 18-10 on the season, including a 12-1 mark in ECC play. Today's win secured the outright ECC regular season championship for the Wildcats. Daemen, the No. 3 ranked team in this week's NCAA Division II East Region poll, had already clinched at least a share of the title, as well as the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ECC Championship tournament which will be held at Lumsden Gymnasium next weekend (Nov. 9-10). 

Mercy dropped to 13-16 overall and 6-7 in league play. Their loss combined with the University of Bridgeport's 3-0 win over Roberts Wesleyan College today has eliminated the Mavericks from conference tournament contention. Mercy entered the final weekend of the regular season looking to clinch their first postseason berth since 2005. 

Logan, a 5-foot-10 freshman outside hitter, powered down a career-high 17 kills on 47 attempts, while Post equaled that offensive output on 44 attempts. Post, a 6-foot sophomore outside hitter, has now reached double-figure kills in four straight matches, averaging 4.19 kills per set on a .267 hitting percentage in that span. She added 14 digs for her second double-double of the season. 

The Wildcats also got solid offensive outings from Jenn Heritz (Granger, Ind.) and Courtney Bernard (Lancaster, Ohio). Heritz, who has been working her way back into the lineup following an injury, totaled 12 kills marking her first match in double figures since Sept. 8. Bernard put down nine kills and hit .429 in the match. Both players totaled a team-high five blocks.

Freshman Isa McCaffrey (North Royalton, Ohio) and sophomore Georgia Wicker (Woodstock, Ill.) continued to split setting duties and each player totaled 29 assists. It marks a career-high total for Wicker who also added 10 digs for the first double-double of her career.

Ali Greenwood (North Aurora, Ill.), the two-time reigning ECC Defensive Player of the Week, recorded 21 digs to led the Wildcats' defensive efforts. Senior Kailey Ballou (Eden, N.Y.) chipped in with 12 digs, her second straight match in double figures.

Leilani Vazquez and Loreto Nunez Casal posted 13 kills apiece, and Brooke Runge notched a match-high 40 assists to pace the Mavericks.

Daemen committed 15 attack errors and hit just .150 over the first two sets before getting things turned around. The Wildcats committed just 10 errors in the final three sets, hitting .293 in those periods.

The Wildcats opened up a 9-1 lead in the third set and never looked back, taking the set by a 14-point margin (25-11).

In the fourth, Daemen trailed 22-20 but rallied for five straight points to force a fifth and deciding set. 

In the fifth, Daemen hit an astuonding .579 with 12 kills and just one error. Logan and Heritz accounted for four kills apiece in the pivotal frame, including the latter's power shot for match point.

Daemen moves on to their regular season finale Sunday at Bridgeport. The Purple Knights (14-11, 8-5 ECC), ranked ninth in this week's regional poll, clinched their 16th consecutive ECC Championship berth today, and they'll need a win Sunday to pull into a tie with Long Island University Post for third place in the final league standings. 

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