Skip To Main Content

Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
milligan mvb vs aic
Bob Blanchard
3
Winner Daemen DAEMEN 1-0
0
American Int'l AIC 0-2
Winner
Daemen DAEMEN
1-0
3
Final
0
American Int'l AIC
0-2
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Daemen DAEMEN 25 25 25 (3)
American Int'l AIC 16 14 12 (0)

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

Wildcats Buzz Past Yellow Jackets In 2022 Season Opener

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - For the third time in four seasons of existence, the Daemen men's volleyball team is off to 1-0 start following a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-14, 25-12) over the American International Yellow Jackets at Henry A. Butova Gymnasium this evening. It took just over for an hour for the Wildcats to dispatch of the Yellow Jackets who dropped to 0-2 in the program's inaugural season. 

Tonight's victory extends Daemen's winning streak to a baker's dozen. The Wildcats finished a perfect 10-0 last season - the only NCAA Division I-II team to complete an unbeaten season - and haven't tasted defeat since a 3-2 loss to Wells on February 29, 2020.

Daemen powered down 36 kills and committed just five hitting errors in the match. Their .525 hitting percentage is the second highest for a single match in program history. AIC was limited to just 14 kills on an .059 hitting percentage. 

After falling behind 12-10 in the opening set, a kill by junior Parker Wade (Portland, Ore.) sparked the Wildcats on a 15-4 spurt. The momentum carried over to the second set as the Wildcats opened up a 12-4 advantage. AIC never got closer than a six-point deficit for the remainder of the set. 

The third set provided a little more back-and-forth scoring early on. Daemen led 11-8 when another kill from Wade ignited an 11-3 run which put the set out of reach. 

IMPACT PLAYERS
  • Sophomore Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) and senior Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) led a balanced Daemen offense with eight kills apiece. Milligan attacked at a .583 clip while Moffitt's kills came on just 10 attempts (.800 hitting percentage).
  • Wade, a junior outside hitter, and classmate Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) tallied six kills each. Parker added a team-high five digs. 
  • Fifth-year Robert Patzer (Liverpool, N.Y.) was forced into emergency action at setter as the Wildcats were without both Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) and Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.). Patzer responded with a fine all-around match, totaling 25 assists, five kills, five service aces and four digs.
  • Junior Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) chipped in four service aces, three kills and two blocks.
  • AIC, which features a roster of nine freshmen, was paced by John Rivera Ortiz (six kills) and Wilmer Rodriguez (five kills) who combined for 11 of their 14 kills.

GAME NOTES
  • Daemen competes as an independent member of NCAA Division I-II. 
  • Tonight's match was the first of 19 regular season contests on the Wildcat's 2022 schedule. Their season was supposed to start earlier this week, but a January 19 home match vs. St. Francis (Pa.) was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. Similarly, tomorrow's match vs. Vassar has been cancelled, leaving just one match vs. Sacred Heart on the Saturday slate. 
  • The Wildcats return 12 players from their 2021 team, including their top hitter (Zach Schneider), top setter (Michael Krueger), top back row defender (Ryan Parker) and top net defender (Jake Couzens). 
  • Previous wins in season openers came against Alderson Broaddus (2019 season, program's inaugural match) and D'Youville (2021). The lone loss in program history for a season opener came in 2020 against perennial powerhouse UCLA. 
  • Patzer's five service aces tied the program record for a single match. The benchmark was originally set by Parker against Medaille on Feb. 23, 2020.

UP NEXT
Daemen returns to action tomorrow when they face Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association member Sacred Heart for a noon match at the William H. Pitt Center. 

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.

Follow the Daemen College men's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenMVB.
Print Friendly Version