MATCH #2
DAEMEN WILDCATS (1-0) VS. ELMIRA EAGLES (0-0)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
AMHERST, N.Y. (LUMSDEN GYMNASIUM) - 7:00 PM
NO SPECTATORS PERMITTED DUE TO COVID-19
THE SERVE
Daemen opens the home portion of their 2021 season when hosting Elmira at Lumsden Gymnasium for a Friday night tussle. It marks the Wildcats' first home match in 356 days. They last took the Lumsden Gymnasium floor on March 7, 2020 when they bested St. Francis Brooklyn in straight sets.
LAST TIME OUT
Daemen opened the season last Friday with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 25-13) win over crosstown rival D'Youville at the College Center Gymnasium. The match ended a 350-day gap between competitions for the Wildcats who got a match-high 11 kills from newcomer Robert Patzer to lead the way. Zach Schneider chipped in with eight kills and Michael Krueger ran the offense, finishing with a match-high 20 assists. The Wildcats have now won 10 of their last 12 matches dating back to Feb. 9, 2020.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Wildcats return 13 players who have been with the program for at least a year, including four juniors who came in with the program's inception. Juniors setter Michael Krueger and sophomore outside hitter Zach Schneider headline Daemen's returning players. Krueger averaged a career-best 8.29 assists per set in 2020, and enters his third collegiate season with more than 1,100 assists in his career. Schneider made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season as he led the team in kills (196) and digs (95) while ranking 39th nationally in 3.16 kills per set. Schneider landed Daemen after originally committing to play for 2019 national champion Long Beach State.
ELMIRA SCOUTING REPORT
Elmira is a member of NCAA Division III and the United Volleyball Conference. The Soaring Eagles are led by fifth-year head coach Daniel Miranda who has led the program to a 49-66 record since taking the reins in 2017. Seven players, including two starters, return from Elmira's 2020 team that finished 5-15 overall and 1-4 in UVC play. Sophomore outside hitter Eric Jackson (1.80 kills/set) and sophomore middle blocker Ryan Mattes (0.84 kills/set, 0.47 blocks/set) return after starting a combined 26 matches in 2020. Sophomore Neiram Galán-Canales is the most experienced setter among returners after averaging 6.68 assists in 22 sets last season. When they visit Daemen, the Soaring Eagles will be competing for the first time in 352 days.
SERIES HISTORY VS. ELMIRA
All-Time Series: Tied 1-1
At Daemen: Elmira 1-0
Streak: Daemen won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Elmira 0 | Feb. 23, 2020 | at Buffalo, N.Y.
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
The Daemen men's volleyball team is in its third season of existence. After posting a 6-17 overall record in their inaugural 2019 season, the Wildcats doubled their win total in 2020, finishing 12-7 overall despite having more than a third of their schedule wiped out due to the pandemic. The 2020 season included home matches against high profile opponents like UCLA, Pepperdine and Harvard, as well as a seven-match winning streak covering more than three weeks in February. Included in that winning streak was a thrilling come-from-behind five-set victory over fellow Division II independent Lincoln Memorial.
INDEPENDENT REPORT
Daemen was ranked second in the offtheblockblog.com Independent Teams Preseason Poll which was released in late December. Of the eight independent teams, seven have begun their seasons: Daemen (1-0), Limestone (4-4), Alderson Broaddus (2-4), Queens (N.C.) (5-8), Lincoln Memorial (3-7), D'Youville (0-2), Tusculum (0-4). Only St. Francis Brooklyn has not yet competed this season.
THE DON
Head coach Don Gleason returns for his third season at the helm of the Wildcats. The Western New York native has been on Daemen's staff since 2015, working first as an assistant with the women's volleyball program. Before arriving at Daemen, Gleason made assistant coaching stops at Stony Brook, Buffalo, Yale and Medaille and Southern Cal.
UNPRECEDENTED SEASON
Daemen has made the determination that players and coaches will be masked during all practices and matches. This follows a recommendation from the NCAA. Universal masking is expected to be a norm for all collegiate men's volleyball teams this season. Daemen's 2021 schedule includes 11 matches to be played between February 20 and April 9. The schedule was developed with the health and safety of the team's Tier 1 personnel in mind. The NCAA defines Tier 1 personnel as all student-athletes, coaches, managers, athletic trainers and other support staff. The team's Tier 1 personnel will undergo regular COVID-19 surveillance testing in accordance with NCAA guidelines. Daemen's match schedule is of course subject to change. A positive result during surveillance testing for Daemen or an opponent may result in game postponements and/or cancellations. Stay tuned to daemenwildcats.com for the most up to date information regarding the team's upcoming schedule. Additional matches may be added throughout the season depending upon each program's unique circumstances.
NEXT SERVE
The Wildcats play back-to-back road games next weekend, visiting crosstown rival Medaille (Friday, Mar. 5) and St. John Fisher (Saturday, Mar. 6).
