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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
COUZENS MVB SCRIMMAGE
0
Elmira Elmira 0-1
3
Winner Daemen Daemen 2-0
Elmira Elmira
0-1
0
Final
3
Daemen Daemen
2-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Elmira Elmira 16 14 15 (0)
Daemen Daemen 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications | (716) 839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

Wildcats Ground Soaring Eagles In Home Return

Daemen sweeps Elmira in first home match in 356 days

AMHERST, N.Y. - Playing at home for the first time in nearly a full calendar year, the Daemen men's volleyball team never trailed while downing Elmira in straight sets (25-16, 25-14, 25-15) this evening. 

Daemen, which made its long-awaited 2021 debut with a 3-0 win at D'Youville last Saturday, improves to 2-0 on the season. The Wildcats were competing on the Lumsden Gymnasium hardwood for the first time since defeating St. Francis Brooklyn 3-0 on March 7, 2020, some 356 days ago. The Wildcats totaled 31 kills, 11 service aces and had a .339 hitting percentage tonight, and the program has now won 11 of their last 13 matches dating back to last season. 

NCAA Division III and United Volleyball Conference affiliate Elmira dropped to 0-1 on the season. The Soaring Eagles were playing their first match in 352 days. 

IMPACT PLAYERS
  • Sophomore outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) led the Daemen offense, finishing with a match-high 11 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Schneider, who led Daemen with 196 kills last season, has now reached double figure kills 13 times in his career. He added three service aces tonight. 
  • Sophomore middle hitter Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) was solid at the net, finishing with career-highs in kills (8) and hitting percentage (.800). 
  • Additional Daemen contributors included junior setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.), sophomore outside hitter Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) and senior opposite Robert Patzer (Liverpool, N.Y.). Krueger ran the show and finished with a match-high 25 assists. Parker posted four service aces and Patzer chipped in with a match-high eight digs. 
  • Oscar Munoz Trinidad paced the Soaring Eagles with seven kills.
SET-BY-SET SUMMARY
Set One (Daemen 25, Elmira 16) – Daemen scored the first nine points of the set, getting kills from Schneider, Couzens and Parker. Parker added two service aces in the run which was finally snapped when Munoz Trinidad put Elmira on the board with a kill. The Soaring Eagles pulled within 23-16 late in the set, but never seriously threatened. The Wildcats got a block from Krueger and Couzens to seal the deal.  

Set Two (Daemen 25, Elmira 14) – The Soaring Eagles committed five attack errors, a service error and a ball handling error to help Daemen jump out to a 12-6 advantage. Back-to-back kills by redshirt freshman Saferino Dour (Buffalo, N.Y.) put Daemen ahead 21-11 and the Wildcats didn't look back. Two more Elmira errors handed Daemen a 25-14 second set. 

Set Three (Daemen 25, Elmira 15) – Elmira was able to hang around early in the third, evening the count at 4-4 on a kill by Munoz Trinidad. With Daemen leading 9-6, a run of four straight points really put the Wildcats in control. Couzens and Krueger notched back-to-back kills in the run. Later, a kill from freshman Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) gave Daemen a nine-point edge (20-11). The Wildcats finished off the set and the match with an emphatic kill by Couzens. 

HEAD COACH DON GLEASON POSTGAME COMMENTS


MATCH NOTES
  • Tonight's match was the second of 11 presently on Daemen's 2021 schedule to be played between February 20 and April 3. 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. Additional matches may be added throughout the season depending upon each program's unique circumstances.
  • Daemen's program 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 before the start of 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.
  • Daemen was ranked second in the Off the Block Independent Teams Preseason Poll which was released in late December.
  • 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.

NEXT SERVE
The Wildcats visit crosstown rival Medaille on Friday, March 5. 

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. 

Support Daemen College's return to intercollegiate athletic competitions by making a contribution to the Game On Campaign and the Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund. This comprehensive fundraising campaign was established to help offset the loss of valuable external revenue streams that directly support Daemen's 17 varsity programs. To learn more, visit daemenwildcats.com/gameon.
 
 
 
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