Men's Volleyball To Hold Blue-White Scrimmage On Nov. 13

No Spectators Permitted, But Event Will Be Broadcast Live On ECC Network

11/4/2020 1:45:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team will hold its annual Blue-White Scrimmage beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 13 at Lumsden Gymnasium, head coach Don Gleason announced today. With no spectators permitted due to COVID-19, the intra-squad matchup will be broadcast live on the East Coast Conference Network, giving fans their first opportunity to see the Wildcats in action this season.

"We're excited for the opportunity to showcase our team for friends and family of the program, Daemen alumni and potential recruits," said Gleason. "Despite the circumstances brought about by COVID-19 that we've dealt with this semester, our team has been hard at work on the court and in strength and conditioning workouts. Having our fall training block culminate in a competitive event is something our players have been looking forward to, and I'm excited to see what they bring to the table."

Handling the ECC Network broadcast will be play-by-play man Ryan Maxwell with color commentary from the coach, Bob Maxwell. In addition to the intra-squad action, the broadcast will include interviews with players and coaches, and other featured content. The ECC Network is the official digital streaming platform of Daemen Athletics with broadcasts available at eccsportsnetwork.com or through Over-The-Top (OTT) apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku devices.

The Daemen men's volleyball program is entering its third season of existence. The Wildcats took a major step forward last spring. Despite having the final 10 matches of the 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19, the Wildcats posted a 12-7 overall record, doubling the win total from the program's inaugural campaign.

Continuity with the roster should prove to be a strength as the Wildcats return 13 players who been with the program for at least a year, including four juniors who have been here from the start. Junior setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) has racked up more than 1,100 assists in his career, many of which went to outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) last season. Now entering his sophomore campaign, the 6-foot-6 Schneider averaged 3.16 kills per set in 2020, second best on the team. Sophomore outside hitter Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) also figures to be an impact performer after battling through injuries last spring.

A newcomer to keep an eye on is senior Robert Patzer (Liverpool, N.Y.). The 6-foot-6 opposite hitter was a late addition to Gleason's 2020 recruiting class after transferring from Wells College which featured one of the top Division III teams in the country last season. Patzer averaged 3.33 kills per set en route to earning Co-Player of the Year honors in the North Eastern Athletic Conference.

While it may not count for anything in terms of wins and losses, the Blue-White Scrimmage is set to be the Wildcats' first game-type action in more than 250 days. The team last took the court on March 7, when they downed visiting St. Francis College-Brooklyn in straight sets. Daemen's full 2021 schedule remains in the works and will be released at a later time.

Daemen College features the premier 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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