Geoff Schneider

Wildcats Set For Windy City Debut Vs. #11 Ramblers

Daemen kicks off four-match Midwest road trip, Sunday's match to be broadcast on ESPN+

3/11/2022 12:00:00 PM

Match #13
Daemen Wildcats (10-2) vs. #11 Loyola Chicago Ramblers (11-6, 6-1 MIVA)
Sunday, Mar. 13 | 1 p.m. (CST) | Gentile Arena

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1. WELCOME TO THE WINDY CITY
The Daemen men's volleyball team opens a week-long, four-match road trip Sunday afternoon when facing nationally-ranked Loyola Chicago (#11 AVCA poll). Winners of eight consecutive matches, the Wildcats figure to be tested in a way they haven't been in quite a while. Loyola, which comes in riding a three-match winning streak, is the first nationally-ranked Division I opponent Daemen has faced since early January 2020 when they dropped matches to #2 UCLA and #8 Pepperdine. Daemen is 2-2 against NCAA Division I opponents this season, including a 3-2 upset win over Princeton on January 23.

2. GOING STREAKING
Daemen wrapped up the longest home stand in program history with a 3-1 defeat of Western New York rival D'Youville on March 2. It marked the Wildcats' eighth straight win, closing their home stand with an 8-1 record. Daemen's eight-match winning streak is presently tied for the second-longest among all NCAA Division I-II teams; only Penn State (10 straight wins) has a longer active winning streak. The Wildcats' last loss came in a five-set thriller against Division I St. Francis Brooklyn on January 29. Their recent success has propelled them into the national conversation. Daemen is ranked seventh in the Off The Block Division II Coaches Poll, marking the seventh straight week they've been included in the poll.

3. COMING OF AGE
The Daemen men's volleyball program is in its fourth season of existence. Led by head coach Don Gleason, the Wildcats have gradually worked their way to respectability. After going 6-17 in their inaugural campaign (2019), the Wildcats posted a 12-7 mark in 2020, winning nine of 11 matches through February and March before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of the final 10 matches of the season. In 2021, with the pandemic still very much raging, the Wildcats conducted a season without ever leaving New York State and finished 10-0 - the only NCAA Division I-II team without a loss. Add in the Wildcats' 10-2 start in 2022, and they've won 29 of their last 33 matches (dating back to February 2020), including 17 in a row against Division II and III opponents.

4. COMING UP ACES
Daemen enters the weekend as the top serving team in the country. The Wildcats lead all Division I-II teams by averaging 2.39 service aces per set. Five players rank among the top 30 individuals for service aces per set, led by junior outside hitter Zach Schneider (0.65 sa/set) who ranks fourth. Schneider, who originally committed to Long Beach State before settling at Daemen (less than 20 miles from his hometown of Lockport, NY), has emerged as the team's go-to offensive player. He leads the team and ranks 39th nationally by averaging 3.24 kills per set. His 399 career kills are the most in program history.

5. MY COUZEN JAKE
After missing two matches with an injury, junior middle hitter Jake Couzens returned to the Daemen lineup for the February 23 win over Nazareth, contributing seven kills on just 10 attacks. Couzens leads the team in blocks per set (0.69) and is among the most efficient hitters in the country. The Hamburg, N.Y. native is producing 1.97 kills per set on a .450 hitting percentage (ranks sixth nationally). As a team, Daemen ranks eighth among all Division I-II teams with a .318 hitting percentage.

6. WHAT'S NEXT
Daemen's Midwest road trip continues Monday (March 13) evening when they'll face a Benedictine (8-5) team that is receiving votes in the AVCA Division III Coaches Poll.

LOYOLA CHICAGO SCOUTING REPORT
The Loyola Chicago Ramblers are members of NCAA Division I and the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The Ramblers are led by seventh-year head coach Mark Hulse who has led the program to a 113-58 record to date, including 37 wins against nationally-ranked opponents. Loyola's 20-player roster includes 17 returning players from their 2021 team that posted a 15-6 record, advanced to the MIVA tournament finals and finished with a #10 ranking in the AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll.

The Ramblers are off to an 11-6 start this season, including a 6-1 mark in MIVA play. They'll enter Sunday's contest ranked #11 in the latest national poll and looking to extend their three-match winning streak. After suffering a 3-2 loss to Division II McKendree on February 24, the Ramblers knocked off #10 Lewis (3-0) and have since added victories over Purdue Fort Wayne (3-0) and Emmanuel (3-0). The win over Lewis brought their record against nationally-ranked opponents to 3-4 this season (three straight wins).

Loyola has been led offensively by redshirt freshman outside hitter Parker Van Buren. The Wisconsin native is producing 4.24 kills per set - third-best among all Division I-II players this season. Van Buren has produced 10+ kills in 12 of 15 matches, including a season-high 27 in a five-set victory over Ohio State.

Additional offensive production is coming from redshirt junior outside hitter Cole Schlothauer (3.07 kills/set) and redshirt senior outside hitter Henry Payne (2.29 kills/set). Payne is a Western New York native (Clarence) who began his collegiate career at Penn State.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. LOYOLA CHICAGO
Series Record: 0-0
At Chicago Loyola: 0-0
Current Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that Loyola Chicago will be just the second MIVA member that Daemen has ever played? The Wildcats' only prior match against a MIVA member was a 3-0 loss to Ball State on February 8, 2020. Six Daemen players that appeared in that match remain on the roster, including Zach Schneider who tallied a team-high nine kills in the loss.

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