The Daemen women's volleyball team opens up the 2022 season at home with the Wildcat Den Classic.

Women's Volleyball Begins Eli Irizarry Era This Weekend With Wildcat Den Classic

Daemen hosts six matches in two days in first home tournament since 2019

9/2/2022 4:03:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mary Margaret Johnson, Assistant Athletics Communications Director | mmjohnso@daemen.edu

Wildcat Den Classic
Location: Daemen University | Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gym
Live Stream Broadcasts: ECC Network
Live Stats: daemenwildcats.com
More Information: Tournament Central | Tickets

Match # 1
Sunday, Sept. 4 - 11 a.m.
Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. Franklin Pierce Ravens (2-2, 0-0 NE10)

Match #2
Sunday, Sept. 4 - 3 pm
Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. Clarion Golden Eagles (4-0, 0-0 PSAC)

Match # 6
Monday, Sept. 6 - 11:30 a.m.
Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. Mercyhurst Lakers (1-2, 0-0 PSAC)

SEASON OPENER
The Wildcats open up the 2022 season, and begin the Eli Irizarry era, by hosting the Wildcat Den Classic this weekend. This is the first volleyball tournament the Wildcats have hosted since the Daemen Volleyball Invitational in 2019. Six matches will be played at Lumsden Gym over the course of two days, and Daemen will play a trio of matches, facing Franklin Pierce, Clarion and Mercyhurst who will enter the weekend with a combined 7-4 record so far this season.

DOMINANCE ON OFFENSE
Daemen returns 12 players and five All-Conference selections from last season's championship roster. In the 2021 season, the Wildcats led the league in kills per set, and three of the top four leaders in kills from last year return in 2022. Outside hitter Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.), who was the first Daemen player in program history to be named East Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year, returns as the team's top offensive threat. She tallied 281 kills for an average of 2.90 kills per set during 2021. The graduate student was also a dominant force from the service line, serving up a team-high 47 aces on the year. Junior middle blocker Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) put together a solid sophomore season last year with 224 kills, and led the team defensively with 78 total blocks. Senior outside hitter Maggie Burns (Louisville, K.Y.) averaged 2.15 kills per set in her junior season, while senior middle blocker middle blocker Loren Alberts (Huntley, Ill.) racked up 59 blocks last year. Both Burns and Alberts collected All-Conference honors in 2021.

CAN YOU DIG IT
After transferring to Daemen last year, junior Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) earned honorable mention American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region after the 2021 season. She was a crucial part of the offense as a setter, starting in 30 of 31 matches and tallying 995 assists to average 9.13 assists per set. Junior Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) provided offensive depth, averaging 6.93 assists per set. Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) earned ECC Libero of the Year honors and led the league in digs (524) and digs per set (4.44).

EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH
Daemen enters the season as the conference favorite, receiving the top spot in the ECC preseason coaches' poll for the second time since 2019. The Wildcats collected five of a possible six first-place votes, and garnered 35 total points in the poll. Daemen is the defending ECC regular season and tournament champion, and are coming into the season after finishing 2021 with a perfect 12-0 record in conference play for the first time in program history. The Wildcats are also receiving votes in the ACVA preseason poll, and is one of only two East Region teams to appear in the poll.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats continue tournament action next weekend (Sept. 9-10) as they travel to Springfield, Mass. for the East Region Clash presented by the International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Daemen will face three teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, facing Saint Anselm, American International, Bridgeport and Bentley.

FRANKLIN PIERCE RAVENS SCOUTING REPORT
Franklin Pierce is a member of the Northeast 10 Conference, and 12th year head coach Stephanie Dragan's team features a relatively young roster with only four seniors. The Ravens posted a 12-12 record last season, and are off to a 2-2 start this year. FPU split four-matches in the Ram Fest Tournament in West Chester, P.A. last weekend, picking up 3-0 wins over Georgian Court and Goldey-Beacom while falling to host West Chester and Millersville. Senior outside hitter Tessa Brant leads the team offensively through the first four games, averaging 3.08 kills per set, with fellow senior Mariah Robles just trailing her average with 3.0 kills/set on the right side. Brandt is also second on the team with digs per set (2.92 digs/set), with junior libero Morgan Schmutzler leading the way defensively (3.77 digs/set). The Ravens open up the Wildcat Den Tournament on Sunday at 11 a.m. against Daemen, then play Clarion in the second game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

ALL TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. FRANKLIN PIERCE
Series Record: Daemen 2-0
At Neutral Site: Daemen 1-0
At Franklin Pierce: Daemen 1-0
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Franklin Pierce 0 (5-19, 25-19, 25-17) | Sept. 15, 2018 | at Rochester, N.Y.

CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES SCOUTING REPORT
A member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, the Clarion Golden Eagles are predicted to win the PSAC West division this season. Clarion finished the 2021 season with a 22-10 overall record, and reached the NCAA Atlantic Regional. This season, they return a trio of all-conference and all-region players from last year. The Golden Eagles opened up the 2022 season with a clean sweep at the Tony Banner Memorial Tournament last weekend. Senior right side London Fuller and junior outside hitter Amy Regrut earned Tournament MVP honors for their part in lifting Clarion to a 4-0 start to the season. Fuller ran the Golden Eagle offense to the tune of a .309 attack percentage, with Clarion hitters averaging 14.00 kills per set. Regrut averaged 2.58 kills per set while hitting a sizzling .403 for the weekend, and senior outside hitter Julia Piccolino averaged 3.92 kills per set and hit .303. The Golden Eagles open up the Wildcat Den Classic with their 3 p.m. match against Daemen on Sunday afternoon.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. CLARION
Series Record: Clarion 3-0
At Neutral Site: Clarion 2-0
At Clarion: Clarion 1-0
Last Meeting: Clarion 3, Daemen 1 (25-21, 20-25, 23-25, 12-25) | Sept. 1, 2017 | at Indiana, P.A.

MERCYHURST LAKERS SCOUTING REPORT
Mercyhurst is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Last season, the Lakers finished with a 7-9 record in the PSAC West giving them a sixth-place finish in the conference. After graduating six players, including the team leader in kills and a defensive guru, Mercyhurst added five freshmen along with a graduate transfer this season. The Lakers opened up the 2022 season last weekend with a home tournament. They dropped their season opener 3-0 against Grand Valley State on Friday, and split their matches on Saturday against Malone and Notre Dame (Ohio) to come into the Wildcat Den Classic with a 1-2 record. Through three games, sophomore outside hitter Paige Miller leads the team with 21 total kills (1.91 kills/set), with senior outside hitter Kate Hennessey, a Western New York native, trailing right behind her with 20 (1.82 kills/set). The Lakers open up the Wildcat Den Classic on Sunday with a 1 p.m. match against Clarion. They will face Daemen on Monday at 11:30 a.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. MERCYHURST
Series Record: Mercyhurst 10-3
At Daemen: 1-4
At Mercyhurst: 1-4
At Neutral Site: 1-2
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Mercyhurst 1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 25-20) | Sept. 11, 2021 | North Canton, O.H.

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.

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