DETROIT, Mich - Caitlyn Meyer (Clarence, N.Y.), Allison Post (Windsor, Calif.) and Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) combined for 34 of Daemen's 50 kills to lead the Wildcats to their first win of the 2021 season today - a 3-1 dispatching (19-25, 25-21, 25-11, 25-17) of East Stroudsburg, the defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champions. This morning's match was the third of four for the Wildcats this weekend at the Warrior Invitational hosted by Wayne State at the Matthaei Volleyball Facility.

Daemen, which opened the tournament with losses yesterday to Walsh (3-1) and Wayne State (3-0), improved to 1-2 on the young season. East Stroudsburg, which won the PSAC tournament title in 2019, dropped to 0-3. The Warriors did not compete at all during the 2020-21 academic year and ended a 638-day hiatus between matches yesterday. The Wildcats' four opponents this weekend combined to go 81-44 during the 2019 season - the last full campaign for the vast majority of NCAA Division II teams.

Daemen reached double figure kills in all four sets, including 16 in the second when they battled back to even the match. The Wildcats attacked at a .222 clip and limited the Warriors to a hitting percentage of .055. 

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Meyer continued her impressive debut weekend for the Wildcats as the graduate transfer racked up a match-high 14 kills to go with five blocks. Her offensive production came on 34 swings and resulted in a solid .324 hitting percentage.
• Post and Logan, the most experienced attackers among Daemen's 12 returning players, totaled 10 kills apiece - both season highs. Logan added 11 digs for her eighth career double-double, and her first since Oct. 19, 2019 vs. St. Anselm. 
• In the middle, junior Loren Alberts (Huntley, Ill.) and sophomore Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) combined for 10 kills. Alberts added five blocks - matching Meyer for match-high honors - and Kuliga hit a team-high .357. 
• Sophomore Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) recorded 32 of Daemen's 45 assists, and sophomore libero Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) led all players with a season-high 20 digs.
• Kaylee LoPresto paced the Warriors with eight kills, while Emily Meredith chipped in 16 digs.

TURNING POINT
After dropping the opening set, Daemen was able to even the match by holding off ESU in the second. The Wildcats built a 22-17 lead, but a 4-1 ESU spurt threatened that advantage and prompted a timeout called by head coach Stephanie Albano. The Wildcats emerged from the break and shut the door on the Warriors, getting back-to-back kills from Alessi and Meyer.

The Wildcats rode that momentum and opened a 13-7 lead in the pivotal third set. With the Wildcats leading 17-11, a kill by Logan sparked a set-closing 8-0 run as the Wildcats cruised. Logan served during the spurt and accounted for two of her match-high four service aces. 

ESU led 16-15 in the fourth set as they attempted to even things up, but the Wildcats embarked on another long run. A sideout on an ESU service error evened the score, and with Alberts serving, the Wildcats rattled off another eight straight points. Meyer notched a pair of kills in the 9-0 run, and added another at set- and match-point to seal the deal. 

GAME NOTES

• Daemen improved to 2-0 all-time vs. ESU. Today's match marked the first meeting between the two since Sept. 22, 2013 - a 3-0 Daemen win at the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by American International.
• ESU was tabbed fourth in the PSAC East Division preseason coaches' poll, while Daemen was picked second in the East Coast Conference preseason coaches' poll.
• The Warrior Invitational is the first of three tournaments that Daemen will compete in this season. They'll also partake in the Cavalier Invitational hosted Sept. 10-11 by Walsh, as well as the Redhawks Invitational hosted Sept. 17-18 by Roberts Wesleyan.
• Daemen's 18-player roster includes 12 returning players, three of whom - Allison Post, Sam Logan and Ali Cousins - remain from the Wildcats' 2018 NCAA tournament team. 
• Daemen's matches at the Warrior Invitational mark the program's first in the state of Michigan since opening the 2015 season at the Laker Riverfront Classic hosted by Grand Valley State.

UP NEXT
Daemen wraps up their four-match trip to Motown this afternoon when they face West Liberty at 3:45 p.m.

---

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 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.

Follow the Daemen College women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.