Match #8
Daemen Wildcats (5-2, 0-0 ECC) vs. Fairmont State Falcons (13-1, 0-0 Mountain East)
Date: Friday, September 16
Time: 5 PM
Location: Fairmont, W.Va. | Feaster Center, Joe Retton Arena
Live Stream: Mountain East TV
Live Stats: via
fightingfalcons.com
Match #9
Daemen Wildcats (5-2, 0-0 ECC) vs. West Liberty Hilltoppers (9-4, 0-0 Mountain East)
Date: Saturday, September 17
Time: 2 PM
Location: West Liberty, W.Va. | Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex
Live Stream: Mountain East TV
Live Stats: via
hilltoppersports.com
COUNTRY ROADS
The Daemen University women's volleyball team hits the road to West Virginia this weekend for a final tune up before conference play begins. The Wildcats will face Fairmont State on Friday evening at 5 PM to open up the weekend's play. This is the third time the Wildcats have faced the Falcons, and the first since 2017. On Saturday, Daemen treks an hour and a half northwest of Fairmont to square up with West Liberty in a 2 PM match. The Wildcats and Hilltoppers have met twice before, when the last meeting ending in a 3-0 Daemen sweep in the finale of the season-opening Warrior Invitational in Detroit, MI. Daemen enters this weekend's action after posting a 3-1 record at the East Region Clash in Springfield, Mass. last weekend, picking up a win against Saint Anselm and sweeping Bridgeport and Bentley, but dropping a five-set thriller to host American International. This is the final weekend of non-conference action for the Wildcats, who open up East Coast Conference play next Thursday when they host crosstown foe D'Youville.
AWARD SEASON
After picking up All-Tournament Team honors in the East Region Clash last weekend, senior outside hitter
Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) and junior libero
Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) earned their first conference awards of the season on Monday. Burns was named ECC Player of the Week after playing in four of the Wildcats' five matches, totaling 44 kills (2.93 kills/set) on a .571 hitting percentage. Burns added 53 digs (3.53 digs/set), three service aces and four blocks. Brundage played in all five matches, tallying 72 digs to average 4.0 digs/set, and added six aces, 15 assists and four kills on the weekend. Burns has twice earned All-Tournament Team honors this season, also picking up the nod with her performance in the Wildcat Den Classic.
MILESTONES
Junior setter
Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) crossed a major milestone in her career at the East Region Clash over the weekend. In the first match against Saint Anselm, and her first match of the season, she notched her 1,000th career assist. Alessi would go on to play in three of the four matches in the tournament, finishing with 71 assists for an average of 7.1 assists per set. She added nine kills, 26 digs, and six service aces as well.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats open up ECC play at home on Thursday, Sept. 22 when they host crosstown foe D'Youville at 6 PM at Lumsden Gym.
FAIRMONT STATE FALCONS SCOUTING REPORT
The Falcons are off to the best start in recent history, entering Friday night's matchup with a 13-1 record, and the only loss of the season coming at the hands of Clarion in last weekend's Atlantic Region Crossover. Fairmont State has been dominant offensively so far, out-killing opponents 660 to 519 on the year for an average of 13.2 kills per set. Four Falcons have tallied triple-digit kills, with sophomore right side hitter
Nyla Birch leading the way with 131. Freshman outside hitter
Joey Borelle, senior outside hitter
Keara Lewis and senior outside hitter
Madison Chapman have 118, 114 and 108 kills, respectively. Fairmont State has been holding it down up front defensively, averaging 2.6 blocks per set for a total of 128.5 blocks on the season. Junior middle blocker
Emma Ludwig already has 59 blocks on the year to average 1.2 blocks/set, with senior middle blocker
Amelia Moore just trailing with 1.16 blocks/set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. FAIRMONT STATE
Series Record: 1-1
Neutral Site: 1-1
Current Streak: Fairmont State won 1
Last Meeting: Fairmont State 3, Daemen 0 (22-25,24-26,16-25)
WEST LIBERTY HILLTOPPERS SCOUTING REPORT
A member of the Mountain East Conference, West Liberty is off to an 8-4 start in head coach
Riley Schenk's third year. The Hilltoppers hosted the Atlantic Region Crossover last weekend where they went a perfect 4-0, including a 3-1 victory over Clarion in the tournament finale. West Liberty has two players with triple-digit kills on the season, with sophomore middle blocker
Ruby Countryman leading the way with 113 kills to average 2.40 kills/set, and senior middle blocker
Nina Billotto just trailing with 102 kills. The Hilltoppers have out-blocked opponents 98-76 on the season. Countryman and Billotto lead the team defensively as well, combining for 76 of the team's total blocks. Countryman earned MEC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday with her 30-block week in which she averaged 1.58 blocks per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. WEST LIBERTY
Series Record: 1-1
Neutral Site: 1-1
Current Streak: Daemen won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, West Liberty 0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-23)
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 women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.
