Men's Volleyball Bringing 3 High Profile Opponents To Lumsden Gym In 2020

Wildcats To Host UCLA, Pepperdine & Harvard

8/19/2019 1:20:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. - Although they'll be competing in just their second season, the Daemen College men's volleyball team won't be afraid of rubbing elbows with the bigwigs in 2020. Head coach Don Gleason announced today that the Wildcats will host matches at Lumsden Gymnasium against Division I powers UCLA, Pepperdine and Harvard, all in early to mid-January.

"The opportunity to bring such high caliber teams to our campus is awesome for the growth of our program," said Gleason, who guided the Wildcats through their inaugural season this past spring. "We'll get tested early and see how much we've developed during the fall season. The guys are definitely excited for January to get here."

"Aside from the opportunity for our team, this will be special for the Western New York volleyball community as a whole. We've always had a nice pocket of youth volleyball in the area, so I know the young players in town are excited to see Daemen take on these teams. I hope to have a packed house for each of these matches."

Daemen, which features the only NCAA Division II men's volleyball program north of the Mason-Dixon Line, opens the 2020 season by facing UCLA on Thursday, Jan. 2. The Bruins, winners of 19 national championships, are coming off a 19-9 campaign, finishing the 2019 season ranked No. 7 in the AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll.

UCLA is coached by John Speraw, a volleyball lifer who has been a part of eight national championships between his time as a player, assistant and head coach. In addition to his UCLA duties, Speraw serves as the head coach of the United States Men's National Team, a position he's held since 2013. Speraw is also the chairman and co-founder of the First Point Volleyball Foundation (formerly MotorMVB), which was established to assist in the growth of boys' and men's volleyball in the U.S. The Daemen men's volleyball program was aided in its establishment by a $60,000 grant from the organization.

Less than two weeks after facing UCLA, the Wildcats kick off three successive days of high intensity action by battling Pepperdine on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The Waves will come in as the defending Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) champions, finishing the 2019 season with a 23-7 overall record, a trip to the national semifinals and a No. 3 ranking in the AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll. It was Pepperdine's deepest national run since 2008. Head coach Marv Dunphy has led Pepperdine to four national championships over his 34 seasons at the helm.

Daemen will meet Harvard on Thursday, Jan. 16. The Crimson compete as members of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), posting top-four finishes in the EIVA tournament six times in the last eight seasons. Head coach Brian Baise will return for his 12th season leading the Crimson, and looking to bounce back following a 6-16 campaign last season.

Between Daemen's matches against Pepperdine and Harvard, the Waves and Crimson will meet Wednesday, Jan. 15 in a neutral site contest at Lumsden Gymnasium.

Ticket information for these high profile matches will be announced at a later time. Those interested in group ticket sales should contact athletic operations coordinator Chad Van Every at (716) 839-7694.

While fielding a nine-man roster made entirely of first-year college players, Daemen posted a 6-17 record in its inaugural season this past spring. Eight of those players are slated to return, including 6-foot-4 right side/middle hitter Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) who recorded a team-high 222 kills. Gleason has added eight additional recruits to bolster the roster for 2020, including graduate transfer Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) who began his career at Ohio State.

The remainder of Daemen's 2020 schedule will be announced at a later date.

Daemen College features the only NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

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