HARROGATE, Tenn. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team closed out its inaugural season with a 3-0 (18-25, 22-25, 23-25) loss to Coker College (S.C.) here today in the consolation match of the Independent Volleyball Association Tournament. The two-day tournament is being hosted by Lincoln Memorial University. Daemen closed out the year with a 6-17 record, while Coker finished 6-16.

This year marks the third year of the IVA Tournament. The inaugural tournament was hosted by Coker in 2017 and Alderson Broaddus University claimed the inaugural title. Last year Alderson Broaddus served as the tournament host and Lincoln Memorial won the title after defeating Queens University (N.C.) in the semifinals and Coker in the championship. In yesterday's semifinal round action, Queens defeated Coker, 3-1, and LMU defeated Daemen, 3-0.

Neither team led by more than two points early on in game one today, before Coker scored four unanswered points to take a 14-10 lead. The Coker lead was 20-17 when the Cobras closed out the game with a 5-1 run. The teams traded 3-0 runs early in game two, before Coker reeled off an 8-3 run that gave the Cobras an 11-6 lead. Daemen answered with a 5-1 run and pulled to within a point, 12-11, following a kill by freshman Kyle Kon (Oswego, Ill.). Back-to-back Daemen attack errors gave Coker a 14-11 lead and the Cobras later took an 18-12 lead following a kill by senior Joao Victor Santos. Daemen clawed back and eventually cut the lead to two points, 22-20, following a kill by freshman Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia), but Coker scored the next two points and went on to a 25-22 win. Coker jumped out to a 9-3 lead in game three, before the Wildcats answered with an 8-3 run of their own that cut the lead to one point, 12-11. Daemen was down 18-14 when the Wildcats put together a 5-1 run and tied the game at 19-19. Coker scored the next three points and held on for the 25-23 win.

Moffitt and fellow freshman Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) each registered a team-high six kills for the Wildcats. Kon finished with two kills, three service aces, five digs and three blocks, while freshman Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) registered 20 assists, two aces, three digs and three blocks.

Victor Santos totaled 11 kills with just two attack errors for the Cobras. Freshman Brandon Ravelo, who was named the 2019 Off The Block Independent Teams Freshman of the Year earlier this week, contributed 26 assists and six digs for the Cobras, while senior Gabriel Castro added five kills, three service aces and five digs.

Daemen officials announced the addition of men's volleyball in May of 2017. The addition was made possible by a $60,000 grant from the MotorMVB Foundation.  The MotorMVB Foundation (www.MotorMVB.com) is a non-profit organization that focuses on the growth of boys' and men's volleyball at all levels in the United States. Daemen became just the 27th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II men's volleyball program in the country when it made the announcement, and the only Division II team North of the Mason-Dixon Line.

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