East Region Clash
Location: American International College | Springfield, Mass.
Live Stream Broadcasts: NE-10 Network
Live Stats: aicyellowjackets.com
More Information: Tournament Central |
Tickets
Match # 1
Friday, Sept. 9 - 4:30 pm
Daemen Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. Saint Anselm Hawks (7-2, 0-0 NE10)
Match # 2
Friday, Sept. 9 - 7 pm
Daemen Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. American International Yellow Jackets (6-1, 0-0 NE10)
Match # 3
Saturday, Sept. 10 - 12 pm
Daemen Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. Bridgeport Purple Knights (1-3, 0-0 CACC)
Match # 4
Saturday, Sept. 10 - 5 pm
Daemen Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 ECC) vs. Bentley Falcons (5-1, 0-0 NE10)
TOURNAMENT NUMBER TWO
The Wildcats play in their second tournament of the season on Friday and Saturday at the International Volleyball Hall of Fame East Region Clash hosed by American International in Springfield, Mass. Daemen will face regional opponents in all three matches, taking on Saint Anselm and AIC from the Northeast-10 and former East Coast Conference foe Bridgeport, who joined the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference this year. The Wildcats opened up the
Eli Irizarry era this past weekend with a 2-1 record at the Wildcat Den Classic. Daemen
split the day on Sunday, sweeping Franklin Pierce 3-0 in the tournament opener before falling to undefeated Clarion 3-1 in the second match of the day. On Monday, Daemen wrapped up tournament play with a
3-0 sweep over Mercyhurst.
EARLY RECOGNITION
Daemen's offense was dominant in their first tournament of the season, headlined by a pair of All-Tournament players. Senior outside hitter
Maggie Burns (Louisville, K.Y.) and graduate student outside hitter
Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) were two of the six players from the tournament to receive the award. Burns led all Daemen players in kills through the first three games of the season, putting down 27 kills and adding 29 digs and a solo block through the nine sets she played in. The 2022 ECC Preseason Player of the Year, Logan averaged 3.0 kills per set for a total of 21 kills and received honor roll in the first ECC weekly awards this week.
MASIC MAGIC
Junior
Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) served as the Wildcats' primary setter through the first three games. In the nine sets she played, Masic totaled 91 assists for an average of 10.11 assists per set, ranking her second in the ECC. She added 20 digs over the weekend, and started the season off strong with her first double-double of the year against Mercyhurst on Monday with 32 assists and 10 digs on the day. Masic currently leads the Wildcats in hitting percentage, knocking down 12 kills on 18 attempts with zero errors for a .667 hitting percentage. She is tied for most aces on the team with six, with four of those coming against the Lakers.
STRENGTH IN THE MIDDLE
Junior middle blocker
Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) and sophomore middle hitter
Amelia Armstrong (River Falls, Wisc.) combined for nine of the Wildcats' 12 total blocks in the first three games of the season. On top of averaging .56 blocks per set, Kuliga ranks third on the team in kills with 17 total for an average of 2.00 kills/set. Kuliga is tied with Masic for the most aces on the team with six. Armstrong has 17 kills and just five errors on the season for a .324 hitting percentage.
FAMILIAR FACES IN THE CLASH
This weekend's tournament features three teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season. Friday evening's matchup against American International will be a rematch of the 2021 East Region Championship match, in which Daemen upset top-seed AIC 3-1 on the Yellow Jackets' home court, giving the Wildcats their first ever East Region title in program history. While on the road to the Regional crown, Daemen topped Bentley in a five-set thriller in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The East Region Clash features teams that could see one another down the line when it comes playoff time.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats hit the road for the second consecutive weekend as they travel to West Virginia for a Mountain East weekend with games against Fairmont State (Sept. 16) and West Liberty (Sept. 17).
SAINT ANSELM HAWKS SCOUTING REPORT
After setting a program record for most consecutive sets won (19) to open up the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational last weekend, Saint Anselm was swept in its' final two matches of the tournament by Harding and No. 9 ranked Nebraska-Kearney to move to 7-2 on the season. A member of the Northeast 10 Conference, eighth-year head coach
Braden Zamore's team has been a force to be reckoned with offensively, out-hitting opponents 366 to 284 for an impressive 12.6 kills per set through nine games this season. Five Hawks have over 45 kills in the young season, led by senior outside hitter
Lauren Casey, who is averaging 3.57 kills/set with 82 total kills. Sophomore
Gabby Belcher owns the second-most kills on the team with 57 (2.11 kills/set). The Hawks have also served up 71 aces on the year, averaging 2.4 aces per set. Senior setter
Michelle Henwood has been holding it down, averaging 9.33 assists per set with 224 total assists.
ALL TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. SAINT ANSELM
Series Record: tied 1-1
At Neutral Site: tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Saint Anselm 3, Daemen 2 (21-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22, 17-19) | Oct. 19, 2019 | at Rochester, N.Y.
AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL YELLOW JACKETS SCOUTING REPORT
The reigning NE-10 Tournament champions, American International had previously eliminated Daemen from both of the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament berths, with the Yellow Jackets winning the 2016 regional crown at Lumsden Gym, and then bouncing the Wildcats in the opening round of the 2018 Tournament. That is, until last season, when two seed Daemen upset top seed AIC 3-1 in the East Region championship to win the regional crown for the first time in program history. AIC comes into their home tournament this weekend with a 6-1 record, with their only loss of the young season coming at the hands of Bentley by a score of 3-1 in the final match of the Sandy Hoffman Memorial Tournament. Through seven matches this season, AIC is averaging 13.21 kills per set, led by sophomore middle blocker
Aleksandra Ivanovic who's hammered home 70 kills (3.04 kills/set) for a .492 hitting percentage. Following closely behind Ivanovic statistically is graduate student outside hitter
Andrea Serra Rosa who averages 2.67 kills per set, and leads the team with 13 aces. Defensively, sophomore middle blocker
Amber Williams has been holding it down in the front, averaging 1.30 blocks per set for a total of 30 blocks on the season.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL
Series Record: AIC 4-2
At Neutral Site: AIC 2-0
At AIC: Daemen 2-0
At Daemen: AIC 2-0
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, AIC 1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19) | Dec. 4, 2021 | at Springfield, Mass.
BRIDGEPORT PURPLE KNIGHTS SCOUTING REPORT
A former member of the East Coast Conference, Bridgeport has opened up their first season in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference with a 1-4 record. The Purple Knights snapped a three-game skid to start the season with a 3-0 win against former ECC foe Queens on Aug. 26 before dropping to Bloomfield 3-1 on Wednesday. Eighth-year head coach
Gary Mullin fields a very young team this season, with just one upperclassman on the roster in junior libero
Haley Andrews. The Purple Knights have five freshmen and five sophomores on the team. Through five matches, Bridgeport averages 10.40 kills/set for a .123 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter
Paola Hernandez leads the Purple Knights offensively with 78 total kills to average 3.90 kills per set. Sophomore setter
Jaden Drollinger handles the setting duties for Bridgeport, averaging 7.80 assists/set, while adding 19 kills on the year for a hitting percentage of .214.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. BRIDGEPORT
Series Record: Bridgeport 10-9
At Daemen: Daemen 6-4
At Bridgeport: Bridgeport 3-5
At Neutral Site: Bridgeport 1-0
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Bridgeport 2 (15-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-16, 15-6) | Nov. 20, 2021 | Amherst, N.Y.
BENTLEY FALCONS SCOUTING REPORT
Daemen and Bentley will square up in the final match of the East Region Clash on Saturday in a rematch of the first round of the 2021 Division II NCAA Tournament in which the Wildcats ended Bentley's season with a five-set thriller. The Falcons have started the 2022 season strong, coming into the East Region Clash with a 5-3 record, including a big win over tournament host AIC in the final match of the Sandy Hoffman Memorial Tournament to hand the Yellow Jackets their only loss of the season. Bentley is coming off a 1-3 weekend at the U-Indy Invitational, picking up a win against Ohio Dominican but dropping matches to Grand Valley St., Indianapolis and Ashland. Offensively, Bentley has out-hit opponents 358 to 318, with junior outside hitter
Ellie Wheeler leading the way with 94 kills (3.13 kills/set) and a hitting percentage of .238. Two Falcons have split the duties at setter, with junior setter
Natalie Thom averaging 4.93 assists per set, and graduate student setter
Amanda Parker just trailing with 4.47 assists/set. Defensively, five Falcons have double-digit blocks, led by
Parker with 24 total blocks on the season for an average of .80 blocks per set. Sophomore libero
Jazzy Burke leads Bentley with 3.40 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: DAEMEN VS. BENTLEY
Series Record: Daemen 2-1
At Neutral Site: Daemen 2-1
Last Meeting: Daemen 3, Bentley 2 (25-17, 21-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-10) | Dec. 2, 2021 | Springfield, Mass.
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