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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
moffitt mvb vs central state
0
Tusculum Tusc 6-19,0-1 DI Independent
3
Winner Daemen Daemen 15-5,0-0 DI Independent
Tusculum Tusc
6-19,0-1 DI Independent
0
Final
3
Daemen Daemen
15-5,0-0 DI Independent
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Tusculum Tusc 32 22 20 (0)
Daemen Daemen 34 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

Wildcats Sweep Pioneers In IVA Tournament Opener

Daemen advances to tonight's IVA Championship semifinals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Daemen University men's volleyball team outlasted the Tusculum Pioneers in an epic first set en route to 3-0 victory (34-32, 25-22, 25-20) in the opening round of the Independent Volleyball Association Championship at the Levine Center on the campus of Queens University. The two-day tournament features eight competing teams - all independent members of NCAA Division I-II - with a total of 12 matches to be played (three by each team).

Daemen, the tournament's No. 1 seed from the North Region, improved to 15-5 this season. The Wildcats have won 13 of their last 16 matches and today's was their 21st in a row against an opponent from the NCAA Division II or III ranks. Tusculum, which entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed from the South Region, dropped to 6-20.  

With the win, Daemen advances to tonight's (7:30 p.m.) semifinal round where they'll face tournament host Queens - the No. 2 seed out of the South Region.

The Wildcats led 24-22 in the opening set, but the Pioneers rallied and sent it to extra points. Crunch time included five set points for Tusculum, four for Daemen and seven ties. The Wildcats picked up the set victory thanks to a 4-1 spurt. Trailing 31-30, junior outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) put down a kill to knot the score. Senior setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) gave Daemen a one point lead with a service ace - the Wildcats' first of the match. But, Tusculum evened things up at 32-32 following a Daemen attack error. Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) put Daemen ahead with a kill and finally a Tusculum hitting error closed the frame. 

Daemen built a five-point advantage (17-12) midway through the second set, but the Pioneers battled to get back within 20-19. Back-to-back kills by Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Schneider provided some breathing room, and Daemen would go on to end the set on another Schneider kill. 

After Tusculum opened the third set with a 5-2 spurt, Daemen jumped back ahead at 9-7 and never relinquished the lead. The Pioneers evened the set at 17-17, but promptly committed four straight errors to give Daemen control. Schneider put down two more kills in the waning moments, including the match clincher. 

Both teams totaled 42 kills, but Daemen's net presence resulted in seven blocks and 20 Tusculum hitting errors. 


IMPACT PLAYERS

  • Schneider finished with a match-high 16 kills, including the 500th of his career. He's the first player in program history to reach the milestone. 
  • Right side Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) continued his strong sophomore season, complimenting Schneider's offense with 12 kills of his own. Milligan committed just one hitting error and finished with a .579 hitting percentage while also posting two solo blocks.
  • Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) chipped in with seven kills and digs, and Couzens added five kills on a .357 hitting percentage.
  • Krueger handled the Daemen setting duties and finished with 33 assists and a team-high eight digs.
  • Jacob Whyte (15 kills) and Dane Loup (12 kills) paced Tusculum.


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 34-7 in their last 41 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. Tusculum came into the match at No. 41. 
  • Today's match marked the first-ever meeting between Daemen and Tusculum.
  • The win marked Daemen's first-ever at the IVA Championship. 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. 
  • Schneider's 16 kills ties the program record for a three-set match. The benchmark was set earlier this season by Robert Patzer in a 3-0 Wildcat victory over Elmira College. 


UP NEXT
Tonight's tournament semifinal pits the Wildcats against the host Queens Royals. Queens advanced with a 3-0 sweep of D'Youville this afternoon - their eighth straight victory. The Daemen-Queens winner advances to Saturday's tournament final (5 p.m.) to face either Lincoln Memorial or Limestone.


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.

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