Wildcats Host National Power UCLA In 2020 Season Opener

Second Season In Program History Opening In Big Way

12/31/2019 1:00:00 PM

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL GAME #1 - PRESENTED BY ORANGETHEORY FITNESS
DAEMEN WILDCATS (0-0) VS. #2 UCLA BRUINS (0-0, 0-0 MPSF)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2
LUMSDEN GYMNASIUM (AMHERST, N.Y.) - 6:00 PM

THE SERVE: 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAME
1. The second season in Daemen's program history will open in spectacular fashion as the Wildcats welcome 19-time national champion UCLA to Lumsden Gymnasium.
2. With a roster comprised entirely of first-year college players, Daemen posted a 6-17 overall mark in their inaugural season last winter/spring. Eight players, including all six starters and the team's top libero, return in 2020.
3. UCLA comes into the contest ranked No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I-II preseason poll. The Bruins went 19-9 last season, and finished the year ranked No. 7 in the national poll.
4. UCLA is coached by John Speraw - the first individual to win an NCAA championship as a head coach (2007, 2009, 2012 at UC Irvine), an assistant coach (1996, 1998, 2000 at UCLA) and as a player (1993, 1995 at UCLA). Now in his eighth season at UCLA's bench boss, Speraw has guided the Bruins into the NCAA tournament in two of the last four seasons, including a trip to the national championship match in 2018. He also serves as head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team.
5. Daemen is led once again by Don Gleason who was named the first head coach in program history back in May of 2017. Before coming to Daemen, Gleason made assistant coaching stops at Stony Brook, Buffalo, Yale, Southern California and Medaille. He played an integral role in establishing the formation of Daemen's program, including the pursuit of a $60,000 grant from the First Point Volleyball Foundation (formerly MotorMVB). Founded by UCLA head coach John Speraw, the First Point Volleyball Foundation is assisting in efforts nationwide to create more opportunities for men's volleyball players at both the high school and college levels.
6. Sophomore right-side/middle hitter Jahari Winkfield tops the list of returning players for Daemen. The 6-foot-4 Illinois native averaged a team-high 2.81 kills per set last season, and was named to the Off The Block All-Independent Team.
7. Sophomore setter Michael Krueger also returns to the mix for Daemen. The Canonsburg, Pa. native racked up 667 assists in his rookie season (8.04 assists per set), and also led the team in total digs (150).
8. Sophomore defensive specialist Jaden Gillette was recently named to the Erik Shoji Award Watch List by Off the Block. The Erik Shoji Award is given annually to the top libero competing in NCAA Division I-II. Gillette averaged 1.79 digs per set last season, and his 18 digs in the program's first-ever win (a 3-2 defeat of Alderson Broaddus) were the most for any player from an independent team.
9. UCLA features several of the top players in the country, including senior middle hitter Daenan Gyimah who finished fourth nationally in hitting percentage (.435) last season. Gyimah has been a two-time recipient of the Ryan Millar Award given annually to the country's top middle attacker.
10. Thursday's match is the first of three for Daemen against high-profile Division I opponents in the month of January. The Wildcats will also welcome 2019 national semifinalist Pepperdine (Jan. 14) and Harvard (Jan. 16) to Lumsden Gymnasium this month.

UCLA SCOUTING REPORT

UCLA is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, and for men's volleyball they compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Bruins men's volleyball team has won 19 national championships, the most for any sport sponsored at UCLA.
The Bruins have posted a 54-9 all-time record in 27 NCAA tournament appearances. They are 19-7 all-time in NCAA title matches.
The Bruins are led by alumnus John Speraw who has guided them to a 139-70 overall record through his first seven seasons on the job. Speraw, who also serves as head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team, came back to UCLA in 2013 following a successful stint as head coach at UC-Irvine where he led the Anteaters to national championships in 2007, 2009 and 2012. Speraw enters his 18th season as a collegiate head coach with a career record of 341-181.
UCLA's 24-player roster features 16 returners from their 2019 team that went 19-9 overall, 8-4 in MPSF play and finished No. 7 in the AVCA Division I-II national poll. Among the returners are the team's top two offensive attackers in Daenan Gyimah and Brandon Rattray. Gymiah, a preseason All-America selection by Off The Block, led the Bruins in total kills (311) and ranked fourth nationally with a .435 hitting percentage last season. Rattray led the Bruins in kills per set (3.33), racking up 263 total kills in 79 sets played.
Austin Matautia has been named to the Karch Kiraly Award Watch List (nation's top outside hitter) and Mads Kyed Jensen is on the Lloy Ball Award Watch List (nation's top setter). Matautia attacked at a .295 clip and averaged 2.41 kills per set last season. Kyed Jensen is a freshman hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark.
UCLA finished fifth in the nation in hitting percentage (.323), fifth in aces per set (1.73) and sixth in kills per set (12.85) last season.
Thursday's match is also UCLA's regular season opener. The Bruins participated in an exhibition series - the Can-Am Holiday Volleyball Showcase - in Toronto from Dec. 29-31, playing the likes of Ryerson, Trinity Western and Alberta.
The Bruins are ranked No. 2 in the AVCA Division I-II preseason national poll.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UCLA
All-Time Series: 0-0
At Daemen: 0-0
Current Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

SELLOUT CROWD
Thursday's match vs. UCLA is completely sold out. No tickets remain on sale. All purchased tickets can be claimed by visiting the will call table upon entering the Lumsden Gymnasium lobby, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Doors to Lumsden Gymnasium will open at exactly 5 p.m., and all seating is general admission.

THE DAPPER DON
Don Gleason was named the first head men's volleyball coach at Daemen on May 5, 2017, the same day that the establishment of the program was announced. Gleason brings a wealth of experience to the position, including previous coaching stops at Stony Brook, Buffalo, Yale, Southern California and Medaille. In addition to his coaching responsibilities with the men's program, Gleason has served as an assistant coach with the Daemen women's team for the past four seasons, helping them to a pair of NCAA tournament berths. In the men's inaugural season, Gleason guided a group entirely comprised of first-year college players to a 6-17 overall record. His first head coaching victory came in the program's first-ever match - a 3-2 defeat of Alderson Broaddus on Jan. 11 at the Red Flash Invitational hosted by St. Francis (Pa.).

COMPLIMENTS FROM A GIANT IN THE GAME
In a recent interview on The Jerry Sullivan Show (1270 The Fan), UCLA and U.S. Men's National Team coach John Speraw had some very complimentary things to about Daemen head coach Don Gleason. Speraw said, "He's really been incredibly thorough about everything in terms of how he's growing it, how he really worked hard at Daemen to make it happen, obviously now how he's going out recruiting... he's out working hard so I'm guessing they're going to be good quick. He's a good coach and he's working it."

STIFF TESTS
Daemen's first three regular season contests of 2020 come against some of the top programs in the country. In addition to hostin 19-time national champion UCLA in their season opener, Daemen will also welcome 2019 national semifinalist Pepperdine (Jan. 14) and Harvard (Jan. 16) to Lumsden Gymnasium, all in the first three weeks of January. Pepperdine are the defending champions of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, and finished 2019 with a No. 3 ranking in the AVCA Division I-II national poll. The Waves have won four national championships in the 34-year tenure of head coach Marv Dunphy. Harvard comes in with six top-four finishes in the last eight seasons within the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. In addition, Daemen will face Division I opponents Ball State (away, Feb. 8), St. Francis-Brooklyn (home, Mar. 7; away, Apr. 3) and St. Francis (Pa.) (away, Mar. 27) this season.

THE FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE
Competing in the program's inaugural season in 2019, Daemen fielded a nine-man roster comprised entirely of first-year college players. The Wildcats posted a 6-17 overall record in 2019. The first match in program history resulted in a win - a 3-2 defeat of Alderson Broaddus on Jan. 11. The Wildcats went on to add a pair of wins over crosstown rival Medaille, as well as single defeats of Lasell, D'Youville and Vassar. They closed the campaign by competing in the Independent Volleyball Association Tournament hosted by Lincoln Memorial in The Volunteer State. Eight players, including all six starters and the team's top libero, return to the mix in 2020.

WINK, WINK
Sophomore right-side/middle hitter Jahari Winkfield headlines Daemen's group of returners. The 6-foot-4 Illinois native led Daemen with 222 kills and 2.81 kills per set in 2019, and was the lone Wildcat to be named to the Off the Block All-Independent Team. Winkfield reached 10 kills in 10 matches last season, including three with 20 or more. He tallied a career-high 21 kills in a five-set loss to Misericordia.

ASSIST MAN
Sophomore setter Michael Krueger returns to the fold after handling the bulk of setting duties as a rookie in 2019. Krueger totaled 667 assists last season, good for an 8.04 assists-per-set average. He topped 40 assists in four matches last season, including a season-high 47 while making his collegiate debut in a 3-2 defeat of Alderson Broaddus. He also led the team in total digs (150) and digs per set (1.81), and ranked second on the team in service aces (19). Krueger notched three double-doubles in 2019, including 43 assists and 14 digs in a four-set win over D'Youville.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Sophomore defensive specialist Jaden Gillette totaled 134 digs and averaged 1.79 digs per set while appearing in all 23 matches in 2019. Those efforts have him being mentioned alongside some of the top defensive players in the country as he was recently named to Off the Block's Erik Shoji Award Watch List. The award is given annually to the top libero competing within NCAA Division I-II.

BOLSTERING THE ROSTER
The Wildcats' roster depth should be far greater in year two as head coach Don Gleason has added nine newcomers to the fold. Among the new faces is graduate transfer Zach Yerington, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound right-side hitter who helped Ohio State to national championships in 2016 and 2017. A Western New York native, Yerington was a two-time All-State player during his scholastic days at Hamburg High School.

LATE ADD
Daemen's 2020 roster was further bolstered with the addition of outside hitter Zach Schneider who inked a letter of intent in November. Schneider is a 6-foot-6 outside hitter who earned numerous accolades over the last several years while competing at Lockport High School in nearby Niagara County. Schneider was originally committed to defending national champion Long Beach State, but opted to re-open his recruitment during the fall semester, ultimately landing here with the Wildcats.

NEXT SERVE
Daemen heads north of the border for an exhibition contest vs. Brock on Thursday, Jan. 9 in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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