Bob Blanchard

ECC Player of the Year Caitlyn Meyer leads Daemen into its first-ever appearance at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight

Wildcats Make Elite Eight Debut Thursday Vs. Western Washington

Daemen is No. 7 seed, three wins away from national title

12/7/2021 1:30:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - ELITE EIGHT
(#7 seed) Daemen Wildcats (25-7, 12-0 ECC) vs. #13 (#2 seed) Western Washington Vikings (24-4, 17-1 GNAC)
Thursday, Dec. 9 | 2:30 p.m. | Bob Martinez Athletics Center | Tampa, Fla.
Watch - NCAA.com
Live Stats
Digital Game Program
Tournament Bracket
Elite Eight Tournament Central
Game Notes (PDF)
Tickets (Cashless Event - All Tickets Must Be Purchased Online)

NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Record: DC is 25-7 overall, marking the 10th 25-win season in program history… 12-0 in ECC play, first-ever unbeaten conference season.
Streaking: Currently on a 12-match winning streak… longest streak since winning 15 straight during 2016 season.
ECC Champs: Won third ECC regular season title (2016, 2018, 2021) and second ECC tournament championship (2018, 2021).
NCAA Tournament: Making third NCAA tournament appearance (2016, 2018, 2021)… won first-ever East Region championship and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time… gained full NCAA Division II membership in 2015.
Century Mark: Head coach Stephanie Albano recorded her 100th career win in the regional semifinals… second coach in program history reach 100 wins (Mark Parisi, 151).
Player of the Year: Graduate right side Caitlyn Meyer led the ECC in kills per set and was named the ECC Player of the Year… second Daemen player to earn the honor (Ashley Drzymala, 2016).
Libero of the Year: Sophomore Jasmine Brundage led the ECC in digs per set and was named the ECC Libero of the Year… first Daemen player to earn the honor.
Beasts of the East: 20-3 record against East Region opponents this season… 84-29 against East Region opponents since the start of the 2016 season.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Daemen makes its NCAA Division II Elite Eight debut as the No. 7 seed facing second-seeded Western Washington. The Elite Eight features the winners of each regional championship from across the country and is being held Dec. 9-11 at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center on the campus of the University of Tampa. A trip to the national semifinals is on the line. The DC-WWU winner will face the winning team from Thursday's first quarterfinal featuring third-seeded Washburn and sixth-seeded West Texas A&M.

STREAK STOPPERS
Daemen advanced to the Elite Eight by stunning top-seeded American International in four sets to win the East Region championship on Dec. 4, snapping the Yellow Jackets' 22-match winning streak in the process. The AIC streak ranked the second longest among all Division II teams before it was broken. Daemen also handed AIC just its 12th home loss in the last six seasons and snapped their 11-match home winning streak in the process. Daemen avenged a five-set loss to AIC from earlier this season, as well as their only prior regional championship opportunity when AIC knocked off the Wildcats in a five-set thriller at Lumsden Gymnasium in 2016.

ON A ROLL
Daemen has won 21 of their last 23 contests, including the last 12 in a row. It marks the Wildcats' longest winning streak since rattling off 15 consecutive victories during the 2016 season. It's also the third longest active streak among all NCAA Division II teams, trailing only Western Washington (19) and Tampa (18).

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS... TIMES TWO
It was 12 up, 12 down in conference play for the Wildcats who secured the program's third ECC regular season title (2016, 2018, 2021). The Wildcats dropped only one set in conference play during the regular season while recording the first unbeaten conference season in program history. The Wildcats clinched the regular season title with a 3-0 defeat of Mercy on Nov. 6. The Wildcats then went on to win the ECC tournament championship with wins over fourth-seeded Molloy (3-0) and second-seeded Bridgeport (3-2). As the ECC tournament champion, the Wildcats earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

INSTANT CLASSICS
Daemen survived its stiffest challenge from an ECC opponent all season when they rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the final round of the ECC tournament to defeat Bridgeport in five sets. Sophomore middle blocker Vanessa Kuliga was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after totaling 25 kills, nine blocks and a .360 hitting percentage in two matches. Kuliga posted 14 kills and a career-high eight blocks in the finals vs. Bridgeport. Sam Logan added 14 kills and 11 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. The Wildcats made the same rally in their NCAA tournament opener as they defeated seventh-seeded Bentley in five sets. Amelia Armstrong recorded a career-high 11 kills and Jasmine Brundage had the most digs (35) for any Daemen player during the program's NCAA Division II era. The Wildcats had lost nine consecutive five-set matches prior to their recent success.

CENTURY MARK
Daemen's regional semifinal defeat of Stonehill marked the 100th win in the career of head coach Stephanie Albano. She became only the second coach in program history to reach the century mark, joining Mark Parisi who led the program to a 151-178 record from 2005-14. Earlier this season, Albano passed Western New York coaching icon Sally Kus for second on the program's all-time wins list. Kus led the program to a 92-54 record from 1998-2001 before moving on to Division I Buffalo.

BATTLE TESTED
While Daemen may have cruised through ECC play this season, the Wildcats entered the postseason having played eight matches against teams that have earned NCAA tournament berths. Five of Daemen's seven losses have come against NCAA tournament qualifiers. The Wildcats own six wins over NCAA tournament teams: Edinboro, East Stroudsburg, Stonehill (2), Bentley and American International.

FORT MEYER
Grad student Caitlyn Meyer has made an immediate impact in her first and only season with the Wildcats. She is the ECC leader in kills per set (3.35) and total kills (365). She's the first Daemen player with more than 350 kills in a season since Ashley Drzymala (434) and Amber Drzymala (379) in 2016. A four-time ECC Player of the Week selection, Meyer has tallied 10+ kills in 24 of 32 matches and is also contributing 0.67 blocks per set. A Western New York native, Meyer is competing in a fifth collegiate season awarded to players by the NCAA due to COVID-19. She played the first four seasons of her career at the Division I level for James Madison.

JAS-ERCISE
Sophomore Jasmine Brundage has emerged as one of the premier defensive players in the ECC this season. A six-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection, Brundage is the ECC leader in total digs (519) and digs per set (4.51). Brundage has recorded 10+ digs in 28 of 33 matches and leads the Wildcats in sets played (115 of a possible 117). She is the first Daemen player with 500 digs in a season since Paige Tilert (542) in 2013. Brundage ranks 61st nationally in total digs.

SETTING THE TABLE
Sophomore Olivia Alessi has made quite the adjustment in her first season with the Wildcats. Recruited primarily as a defensive specialist, Alessi transitioned to setter early in the season as the Wildcats were dealt with a rash of injuries at the position. All she's done since then is average 9.20 assists per set (second in the ECC) while running the league's second most efficient offense. Alessi's 975 assists are the most for a Daemen player since Isa McCaffrey totaled 1,097 during the 2018 season. Alessi has nine matches this season with at least 40 assists and has also recorded a team-high 15 double-doubles. She's been named the ECC Setter of the Week three times, while teammate Dunja Masic has earned the award twice. Since the conference began recognizing a Setter of the Week in 2014, Daemen is the only team with multiple recipients in the same season.

UP THE MIDDLE
Daemen has gotten solid, perhaps unheralded, play out of starting middles Loren Alberts and Vanessa Kuliga this season. Alberts was contributing 1.62 kills per set on a .310 hitting percentage as well as 0.58 blocks per set before she was lost for the season with an injury suffered in the ECC tournament finals. Kuliga is a three-time ECC weekly honoree who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the ECC tournament. She is producing 1.98 kills and a team-high 0.69 blocks per set while hitting .326. In Alberts' absence, Daemen has turned to freshman Amelia Armstrong (1.36 kills/set, .358 hitting %) to fill the void. Armstrong recorded a career-high 11 kills in Daemen's regional quarterfinal win over Bentley.

ON THE OUTSIDE
Senior Sam Logan and junior Maggie Burns have both produced from the outside hitter position for the Wildcats this season. Logan ranks second on the team in fifth in the conference for kills per set (2.95). She is also producing from the service line where she ranks 22nd nationally in aces per set (0.49). Logan has produced nine double-doubles, including her last five matches. Burns is chipping in 2.18 kills and 2.82 digs per set with four double-doubles. The Kentucky native is in her second season with Daemen after transferring from Urbana where she earned Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2019.

WIN PLATEAUS
Daemen's 3-0 win over Le Moyne in the regular season finale marked the team's 20th of the season. It's the 12th time in team history (third in NCAA era) that the Wildcats have reached the 20-win mark. Daemen's regional finals win over AIC was their 25th of the season, marking the 10th 25-win season in team history (second in NCAA era).

AWARDS SEASON
Daemen put its stamp on the ECC's major awards and all-conference teams which were announced just prior to the start of the conference tournament. Caitlyn Meyer was named the ECC Player of the Year, while Jasmine Brundage earned ECC Libero of the Year honors. Both players were named to the All-ECC First Team and were joined by setter Olivia Alessi. All-ECC Second Team selections included middle blocker Loren Alberts and outside hitters Sam Logan and Maggie Burns. The six selections for Daemen marks the most by one team since the ECC expanded the all-conference team from 12 to 14 members in 2015. In addition, head coach Stephanie Albano was named the ECC Coach of the Year. It marks the third time in Albano's six-year tenure that she's been selected by her peers for the accolade.

NCAA ELITE EIGHT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Dec. 9
12 p.m. - #3 Washburn (29-5) vs. #6 West Texas A&M (26-4)
2:30 p.m. - #2 Western Washington (24-4) vs. #7 Daemen (25-7)
5 p.m. - #4 Hillsdale (30-4) vs. #5 Gannon (31-6)
7:30 p.m. #1 Tampa (31-2) vs. #8 Augusta (25-8)

Friday, Dec. 10
5 p.m. – National Semifinal #1 (3/6 vs. 2/7)
7:30 p.m. – National Semifinal #2 (4/5 vs. 1/8)

Saturday, Dec. 11
5 p.m. – National Championship Match

DAEMEN NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY (5-2)
2016 (2-1)
12/1 - #2 Daemen 3, #7 Post 2
12/2 - #2 Daemen 3, #3 New Haven 0
12/3 - #4 American Int'l 3, #2 Daemen 2

2018 (0-1)
11/15 - #6 American Int'l 3, #3 Daemen 0

2021 (3-0)
12/2 - #2 Daemen 3, #7 Bentley 2
12/3 - #2 Daemen 3, #3 Stonehill 1
12/4 - #2 Daemen 3, #1 American Int'l 1

WESTERN WASHINGTON SCOUTING REPORT
Western Washington is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the Vikings are led by veteran head coach Diane Flick-Williams. Now in her 22nd season at the helm, Flick-Williams has presided over a program that's been a perennial GNAC and West Region contender. The Vikings have won four straight GNAC championships and are in the midst of the 15th NCAA tournament appearance in program history.

WWU won its fourth West Region championship and extended its winning streak to 19 straight matches with a 3-0 defeat of fifth-seeded Cal State Los Angeles on Dec. 4. Junior middle Chloe Roetcisoender recorded 13 kills on a .765 hitting percentage and added six blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Calley Heilborn contributed 10 kills and 13 digs to lead the Vikings.

Heilborn is averaging 3.20 kills per set to compliment GNAC Player of the Year Gabby Gunterman, a junior outside hitter. Gunterman is producing 3.27 kills per set on a .238 hitting percentage this season. Gunterman and junior middle Olivia Fairchild (2.49 kills/set, 1.37 blocks/set) were consensus All-West Region selections by the AVCA and D2CCA.

The Vikings have dominated at the net this season and will enter Thursday's national quarterfinal ranked second among the 285 Division II teams in blocks per set (2.76). WWU has produced 10+ blocks in 18 of 28 matches, including a season-high 19 in a five-set win over Alaska Fairbanks on Oct. 2.

Offensively, WWU is producing 13.68 kills per set on a .246 hitting percentage – both top-30 numbers in the country.

The Vikings are ranked 13th in the latest AVCA Top-25 poll marking their 121st consecutive week including in the national rankings, a streak that dates back to 2012. WWU has won 90 of their last 103 matches dating back to 2018.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. WESTERN WASHINGTON
Series Record: 0-0
At Neutral Site: 0-0
In NCAA Tournament: 0-0
Current Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

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