Bob Blanchard

Wildcats & Yellow Jackets Meet Saturday At Lumsden

Daemen welcomes fellow Division II independent AIC to Western New York

2/11/2022 12:00:00 PM

Match #8
Daemen Wildcats (5-2) vs. American International Yellow Jackets (1-4)
Saturday, Feb. 12 | 1 p.m. | Lumsden Gymnasium

Tickets (all tickets must be purchased online - no cash accepted at the door)
Watch (ECC Network)
Live Stats

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. BRING THE BROOMS
The Daemen men's volleyball team continues the longest home stand in program history when they welcome fellow NCAA Division II independent American International to Lumsden Gymnasium for a Saturday matinee. The Wildcats, now competing in their fourth season of existence, will look for the season sweep of the Yellow Jackets, a program competing in its inaugural campaign. Daemen opened the season with a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-14, 25-12) at AIC last month with Henry Moffitt (eight kills, .800 hitting percentage), Cameron Milligan (eight kills, .583 hitting percentage) and Robert Patzer (25 assists, five aces) playing starring roles. The Wildcats posted a .525 hitting percentage as a team - the second highest for a single match in program history.

2. COMING UP ACES
Daemen enters the weekend averaging 2.24 service aces per set. Only Hawaii - No. 3 in this week's AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll - is averaging more aces per set (2.65) than the Wildcats. Junior Zach Schneider leads a trio of Daemen players ranked in the top 20 nationally for service aces per set. Schneider is tied for the team lead in total aces with 14 and his 0.61 aces per set ranks eighth among all Division I-II players in the country. Robert Patzer (0.54) and Jake Couzens (0.48), who also have 14 total aces, rank 13th and 17th among the national leaders, respectively.

3. WHAT'S TRENDING
Led by fourth-year head coach Don Gleason, the Wildcats have hit their stride over the last few seasons. Dating back to early February 2020, Daemen has won 24 of their last 28 matches. The Wildcats are coming off a perfect 10-0 season in 2021 when they were the only NCAA Division I-II team to finish without a loss. The program holds an all-time record of 33-26, including a 13-9 mark against NCAA Division I-II opponents. The Wildcats have won seven straight against Division II teams. Their last loss to a Division II opponent came April 13, 2019 against Coker.

4. CARDIAC KIDS
Daemen has shown a flare for the dramatic so far this season with four of their first seven matches going to five sets, posting a 2-2 record in those contests. Most recently, Daemen survived a scare from St. John Fisher (No. 14 in the AVCA Division III Coaches Poll), rallying from a 2-1 deficit to record the program's eighth straight win against a Division III opponent. Zach Schneider (12 kills) and Ryan Parker (10 kills, 10 digs) led the way. Jake Couzens chipped in nine kills without committing a hitting error, but was lost late in the match to an injury. Parker Wade came off the bench to provide a spark, recording two of his three kills in the fifth set along with a key service ace. Daemen improved to 6-7 all-time in five-set matches with victories in five of their last nine.

5. WHAT'S NEXT
This Wildcats' nine-match home stand continues when they welcome Elmira to Lumsden Gymnasium next Tuesday, February 15 for a 6 p.m. tilt.

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCOUTING REPORT
The AIC Yellow Jackets are an independent member of NCAA Division II and are competing in their inaugural season. Hector Jose Reyes was named the program's first head coach last January, with oversight from Director of Volleyball Matt Cribbin who also serves as AIC's Head Women's Volleyball Coach.

The Yellow Jackets feature a nine-player roster for ths inaugural campaign - all freshmen. After dropping their first four matches, AIC picked up the program's first-ever victory last weekend with a 3-0 defeat of Sage.

Outside hitter John River Ortiz has paced the AIC offense by producing 2.73 kills per set. The Puerto Rico native had a team-high six kills in AIC's earlier meeting with Daemen and powered down a season-high 15 kills in the win over Sage. He has now recorded double-figure kills in back-to-back matches, averaging 4.17 kills per set in that span.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
Series Record: 1-0
At Daemen: 0-0
Current Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, American International 0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-12) | Jan. 21, 2022 | at Springfield, Mass.

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