MATCHES #5 & #6
DAEMEN WILDCATS (4-0) VS. ELMIRA SOARING EAGLES (0-4)
SUNDAY, MARCH 14
ELMIRA, N.Y. (SPEIDEL GYMNASIUM) - 1:00 PM / 3:30 PM
NO SPECTATORS PERMITTED DUE TO COVID-19
THE SERVE
Daemen puts its unblemished 4-0 record on the line when the Wildcats visit Elmira for doubleheader action Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats are off to the best start in the brief three-year history of the program, and have won 13 of their last 15 matches dating back to last season. They'll be meeting Elmira for the second time this season. The Wildcats scored a straight-sets victory over the Soaring Eagles in their home opener last month.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats picked up their first five-set victory (22-25, 25-15, 25-17, 27-29, 15-8) of the season, defeating a St. John Fisher Cardinals team that was ranked eighth in the NVA/AVCA Division III coaches poll. Zach Schneider pounded down a career-high 20 kills and Robert Patzer added 18 kills to lead the Daemen offense. Ryan Parker chipped in wth 11 kills and a team-high 12 digs, while setter Michael Krueger posted 50 assists - the third match of his career with at least 50.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Daemen is off to a solid start both offensively and defensively this season. The Wildcats are attacking at a .309 clip, ninth-best in the country among Division I/II teams. They also lead the country in service aces per set (2.60) and opponent hitting percentage (.083). Individually, Zach Schneider has totaled 13 service aces in 14 sets this season and he leads the country in services aces per set (1.00).
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 wins 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. The Soaring Eagles enter this weekend's matches looking to snap a 10-match losing streak that dates back to last season. In 2021, they've dropped four straight, including their UVC opener March 4 vs. Nazareth (3-0) and a pair of losses to nationally ranked (#11) Juniata last weekend. Jackson has paced the Elmira offense thus far, averaging 2.00 kills per set on a .099 hitting percentage. Newcomer Oscar Munoz Trinidad has also made an impact, averaging 1.17 kills and a team-high 0.25 services aces per set. The Soaring Eagles play a pair of matches Saturday at St. John Fisher before hosting Daemen Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY VS. ELMIRA
All-Time Series: Daemen
2-1
At Elmira: Daemen
1-0
Streak: Daemen
won 2
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Elmira 0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-15) | Feb. 26, 2020 | at Amherst, 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.
GUESS WHO'S BACK
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.
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
Daemen hosts Nazareth on Friday, March 19 at Lumsden Gymnasium.
