CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Daemen University men's volleyball team will play for a championship tomorrow evening.

The Wildcats continued their run at the Independent Volleyball Association Championship by knocking off tournament host Queens University by a 3-1 final score (25-18, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22) tonight at Curry Arena. The two-day tournament features eight competing teams - all independent members of NCAA Division I-II. 

Daemen, the tournament's No. 1 seed from the North Region, improved to 2-0 today and 16-5 this season. The Wildcats, who have now won 14 of their last 17 matches, advanced to tonight's tournament semifinal with a 3-0 defeat of Tusculum University earlier today. The nightcap victory was the Wildcats' 22nd in a row against an opponent from the NCAA Division II or III ranks, and it snapped Queens' eight-match winning streak. The Royals, who are the No. 2 seed from the South Region, dropped to 17-12 after suffering their first setback since March 25. 

Daemen will face three-time defending IVA champion Lincoln Memorial University, the South Region's No. 1 seed, in the final round of the tournament. First serve is set for 5 p.m. Saturday. 

The Wildcats used a 10-5 run in the opening set to turn a 12-11 lead into a 22-16 edge that Queens could not overcome. Daemen got kills from four different players in the set's defining run, including three from senior middle hitter Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia). Sophomore right side Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) powered down three more kills for Daemen's 23rd, 24th and 25th points of the set. The Wildcats finished with 16 kills and a .500 hitting percentage in the frame.

Queens managed to even things up in the second, jumping out to a 6-2 advantage and never relinquishing the lead from there. After another Moffitt kill tied the set at 13-13, the Royals embarked on a 7-2 spurt to open up at 20-15 lead. Daemen pulled within 20-17 and 23-20, but no closer as back-to-back points ended the frame for the hosts.

A short 3-0 run, ignited by a kill from Daemen's Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.), gave the Wildcats a third-set lead which they would not give up. Neither team managed to score back-to-back points until Daemen, leading 18-15, rattled off five straight to firmly grasp control. A kill by Moffitt sparked the rally which included two more kills from Schneider and a pair of service aces by Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.). Three service errors by Queens late in the set provided the necessary scoring for Daemen to put themselves back ahead in the match, 2-1. 

Queens had their best statistical set of the match in the fourth (14 kills, .375 hitting percentage), but were not able to fully overcome a 7-1 Daemen run to start the frame. The Royals rallied and evened the set at 21-21, but Daemen again turned to Schneider who book-ended a 3-0 spurt with two more kills, the second of which put Daemen on the brink of victory. Queens fended off one match point with a kill by Daniel Leitao, but a faulty set on the ensuing delivered the victory for Daemen. 


IMPACT PLAYERS

• Schneider, who posted 16 kills in the win over Tusculum including the 500th of his career, was the game's top offensive performer once again. The junior outside hitter totaled 18 kills on a .394 hitting percentage and added six digs to the Daemen defensive effort for good measure. 
• Milligan also reached double-figure kills for the second straight match, finishing with 12 on a .391 hitting percentage. 
• Moffitt's timely offense resulted in seven kills and he added three block assists. His fellow middle hitter, junior Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.), finished with six kills and five of Daemen's 18 block assists. 
• Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) contributed a match-high 10 digs and Krueger stuffed the stat sheet as well, finishing with 36 assists, six digs, five block assists and a solo block. 
• Leitao led the Royals with 15 kills while setter Brandon Grabow finished with a match-high 37 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 now 35-7 in their last 42 matches—a span that dates back to early February, 2020. Five of the seven losses have come against Division I opponents.
• Daemen entered the match ranked No. 9 in the Off The Block Division II Coaches Poll. The Wildcats have been included in that poll for 12 straight weeks.
• Daemen is also No. 37 in the NCAA Division I-II RPI Rankings. Queens came into the match at No. 27. 
• Today's match marked the first-ever meeting between Daemen and Queens.
• Queens will play Limestone (South No. 3) in the third place match Saturday at 2 p.m.
• The Wildcats are competing in the tournament for the first time since 2019 - the program's inaugural season. The 2020 IVA Championship was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Daemen elected not to partake in last year's event. 

UP NEXT
The tournament's No. 1 seeds will meet Saturday for the title. Lincoln Memorial (19-7), the No. 10 team in the RPI rankings, defeated Alderson Broaddus and Limestone today (both in three sets) to advance to the final round. Saturday's match will mark the third all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Railsplitters, and the first since a wild 3-2 Daemen victory on Feb. 9, 2020. 

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.

Follow the Daemen University men's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenMVB.