AURORA, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team ran its winning streak to four-straight matches following wins over SUNY Potsdam and host Wells College here tonight during day one of the Wells College Classic Tournament. The Wildcats posted a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20. 25-12) win over SUNY Potsdam and then rallied for a 3-2 (25-22, 16-25, 22-25, 25-18, 16-14) win over Wells.

Daemen, a NCAA Division II independent, has now won seven of its last nine matches and improved to 7-5 overall. SUNY Potsdam (2-5) is a member of NCAA Division III and the North East Athletic Conference (NEAC). The program is in its inaugural season.

Wells is also a member of NCAA Division III and the NEAC. The Express posted 28-9 overall record, claimed their first-ever NEAC Tournament title and advance to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Division III Tournament last year. Wells (14-3) saw its six-match winning streak come to end against the Wildcats. The Express entered the weekend ranked sixth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III national poll. Wells posted two wins over Daemen last year during DC's inaugural season.

It marks the second-straight weekend that the Wildcats have rallied to knock off a nationally-ranked opponent. Last weekend Daemen rallied for a 3-2 win over Lincoln Memorial University, which is ranked seventh among NCAA Division II schools by Off The Block. LMU is the two-time defending champion of the Independent Volleyball Association Tournament. The Railsplitters defeated Daemen, 3-0, in the opening round of last year's IVA Tournament en route to winning the title.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. SUNY POSTDAM

• Daemen registered 34 kills and a .347 hitting percentage.
• Redshirt sophomore Brandon Casterline (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) paced a balanced Daemen attack with eight kills, a .375 hitting percentage and three blocks.
• Sophomore Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) added six kills, no attack errors and a .545 hitting percentage.
• Freshmen Matthew Garry (Depew, N.Y.), Parker Wade (Portland, Ore.) and Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) all chipped in five kills.
• Freshman Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.) dished out 29 assists, while sophomore Ryan Beck (Pittsburgh, Pa.) registered a team-high seven digs.
• Freshman Zaire Rogers paced the Bearseight kills and six digs, while sophomore Alec Roy totaled 13 assists.
  

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. SUNY POTSDAM

Set One (DC 25, SP 16) - Daemen scored the first six points and later took a 12-4 lead following a kill by Moffitt. The Daemen lead was 20-14 when the Wildcats closed the set with a 5-2 run.

Set Two (DC 25, SP 20) - The Bears held an 8-6 lead when the Wildcats ran off seven unanswered points to take a 13-8 lead. The Daemen lead was 16-13 when the Wildcats took control with a 5-2 run that gave them a 21-15 advantage. The teams traded points the rest of the set.

Set Three (DC 25, SP 12) - Daemen jumped out to an 8-2 lead and later took a 20-9 lead following a service ace by Parker. Potsdam came no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. WELLS

• Daemen registered 58 kills and a .289 hitting percentage.
• Graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) and freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) both registered a team-high 18 kills for the Wildcats. Yerington also registered nine digs, while Schneider totaled four blocks and three digs. Sophomore Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) posted 14 kill attempts with nine kills and just two attack errors.
• Sophomore Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) dished out 50 assists and registered nine digs. It marked the second-straight match he has recorded 50 or more assists, as he posted a career-high 54 assists in the 3-2 win over Lincoln Memorial last weekend.
• Freshman Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) turned in a solid match with seven kills, just one attack error and a team-high 15 digs. The 15 digs equaled his season-high he posted in a loss to nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College.
• Junior Robert Patzer paced the host Express with 20 kills, a .366 hitting percentage, four blocks and eight digs. Senior Caden O'Loughlin added 11 kills and six digs. Senior Josh Undari handed out 47 assists, senior Kevin Batmunkh posted a team-high 18 digs.
   

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. WELLS (Not Available)

NEXT SERVE
The tournament continues tomorrow (Feb. 15) and Daemen will take on Penn State Altoona at 1 p.m. The Lions (5-5) lost to Wells (3-0) and defeated SUNY Potsdam (3-0) this evening.