FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Junior John Diedrich racked up 20 kills to lead the Purdue University Fort Wayne men's volleyball team to a 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-8) victory over Daemen tonight at the Gates Sports Center on the Purdue Fort Wayne campus. Purdue Fort Wayne, a NCAA Division I member of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, ran its winning streak to three-straight matches and improved to 13-7 on the year. Daemen, an independent member of NCAA Division I-II, dropped to 11-4. Daemen was bidding for its first-ever victory against a member of the MIVA.

The early stages of game one featured six ties and the host Mastodons held a 9-8 lead when they put together a 6-2 run. A kill by Diedrich capped the run and gave the hosts a 15-10 lead. Daemen battled back and cut the lead to two points, 18-16, but the Wildcats could never get any closer the rest of the set and Fort Wayne went on to a 25-20 victory.

Daemen built a 13-7 lead in game two, but the Mastodons responded with a 10-4 run which knotted the game at 17-17. Daemen regained a 20-17 lead following three-straight kills, and the Wildcats later took a 24-21 lead following a kill by junior Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.). Fort Wayne cut the lead to two following a Daemen service error, but another kill by Schneider gave Daemen a 25-22 win.

Another tightly contested game followed in game three. Fort Wayne opened a four point lead 19-15 late in the game, but Daemen scored five of the next seven points and cut the lead to 21-20 following a kill by junior Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.). Fort Wayne scored the next three points to regain control and eventually posted a 25-21 victory.

Daemen used an 8-2 run midway through game four to open up a 19-12 lead. The teams traded points the rest of the game and Daemen forced a fifth and deciding game following a 25-18 victory.

Game five was tied at 7-7 when a kill by Diedrich sparked a 6-0 run that gave the hosts a commanding 13-7 lead. Daemen stopped the bleeding with a kill by junior Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.), but Fort Wayne secured the game and the match following a kill by Diedrich and a service ace by freshman Zach Solomon.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Diedrich, who entered the match averaging a team-high 3.75 kills per set, posted 20 kills and just five attack errors for a .405 hitting percentage. He also registered four blocks and five digs.
• Solomon added 11 kills and five service aces for the Mastodons, while junior Sean Califf handed out a match-high 48 assists. Lancaster, N.Y. native Troy Gooch posted a team-high eight digs for the hosts.
• Schneider led the Wildcats with 16 kills and tied for the team lead in digs (8). The program's all-time leader in kills with 437, Schneider has posted double-figure kills in four straight and 10 of his 13 matches this season.
• Parker added a season-high 13 kills and also chipped in two service aces, three blocks and three digs.
• Senior setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) tallied 40 assists.

GAME NOTES

• Daemen is competing in its fourth season of existence. 
• The Wildcats return 12 players from their 2021 team which finished with a 10-0 record—the only NCAA Division I-II team without a loss.
• Daemen is 30-6 in their last 36 matches—a span that dates back to early February, 2020. Four of the six losses have come against Division I opponents.
• Daemen entered the match ranked No. 7 in the Off The Block Division II Coaches Poll. The Wildcats have been included in that poll for eight straight weeks.

UP NEXT

Daemen concludes its week-long Midwest road trip tomorrow (March 18) when it takes on the University of Mount Union. The Purple Raiders are members of NCAA Division III and the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League.

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.