Match #17
Daemen Wildcats (13-3, 6-0 ECC) vs. Gannon Golden Knights (15-5, 9-1 PSAC)
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 6 PM
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
Live Stream: ECC Network
Live Stats: via
daemenwildcats.com
BACK HOME
The Daemen University women's volleyball team returns home to Lumsden Gymnasium when they play host to the Gannon Golden Knights in a non-conference tilt on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 6 PM. The Wildcats enter the midweek matchup with a 13-3 record on the season, and a perfect 6-0 through East Coast Conference play. Daemen is riding an eight-game winning streak, and is coming off a 3-1 victory over crosstown foe D'Youville on Saturday. Gannon comes into the match 15-5 on the season, and sitting in second place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division with a 9-1 record. The Golden Knights have won three straight matches including Saturday's 3-1 win over Pitt-Johnstown. The Wildcats are currently 7-3 against non-conference opponents on the season, and 1-1 against PSAC teams. Daemen lost 3-1 to Clarion in the second game of the season, and topped Mercyhurst 3-0 in the final match of the Wildcat Den Classic.
WILDCAT LEADERS
Through 15 games, Daemen is out-killing its opponents 730 to 546 for a .234 hitting percentage, averaging 13.5 kills per set to 10.1 for their opponents. Two Wildcats have accumulated triple-digit kills on the season, with senior outside hitter
Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) leading the charge with 250 (3.49 kills/set), and graduate student OH
Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) right behind her with 134 kills on the year (3.05 kills/set). Burns and Logan currently rank second and third in the ECC in kills per set. Burns left the Wildcat offense for the ninth time of the season on Saturday against the Saints. Defensively, the Wildcats average 16.8 digs per set compared to 14.5 for their opponents, with junior
Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) ranking third in the league with 3.68 digs/set. Daemen averages 12 assists/set compared to 9 from their opponents. Juniors
Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) and
Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) have split setting duties this season, with Alessi averaging 8.73 assists/set and Masic averaging 9.04 assists/set. The Wildcats have amassed 126 aces on the season, averaging 2.32 aces/set, with
Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) leading the way with 21 on the season. Senior defensive specialist
Mickaley Monahan (Saline, Mich.) has 17 aces, while Logan and Masic both have 16 aces a piece on the season.
WEEKLY AWARDS
The Wildcats have earned
ECC Weekly Awards for six straight weeks. Burns picked up her second Player of the Week honors, Monahan earned her first career Defensive Player of the Week nod, and Masic picked up her first Setter of the Week. Daemen has won ECC Player of the Week five times this season.
UP NEXT
Daemen hits the road this weekend. The Cats face Saint Rose on Friday, October 21 at 6 PM in a non-league matchup, then will head to New York City to play Queens on Saturday, October 22 at 1 PM, and Molloy on Sunday at 11 AM.
GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS SCOUTING REPORT
Gannon comes into Tuesday's matchup with a 15-5 overall record, and a 9-1 record in the PSAC, with their one loss in conference coming at the hands of Clarion in an 0-3 sweep on Oct. 7. The Golden Knights have out-killed opponents 847 to 746 this season, averaging 12.8 kills to their opponents' 11.3. Four players have put up triple-digit kills on the season, with sophomore outside hitter
Sam Deinek leading the way with 216 kills (3.38 kills/set). Junior OH
Madde Blake ranks second on the team with 180 kills (2.81 kills/set), while middle blocker
Maggie Greenfield and right side hitter
Hailey Koch have 138 and 131 kills, respectively. Middle blocker
Sophia Glabus leads the team defensively with 40 total blocks. Greenfield and Koch combine for 68 of Gannon's 100 total blocks on the year.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. GANNON
Series Record: 1-14 Gannon
Home Record: 1-5 Gannon
Current Streak: Gannon won 14
Last Meeting: Gannon 3, Daemen 1 (25-21, 15-25, 15-25, 16-25) | Oct. 19, 2021, Erie, P.A.
Daemen University 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.
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