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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
mvb huddle vs Princeton
0
American Int'l AIC 0-6,0-0 DI Independent
3
Winner Daemen Daemen 2-1,0-0 NEC
American Int'l AIC
0-6,0-0 DI Independent
0
Final
3
Daemen Daemen
2-1,0-0 NEC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
American Int'l AIC 17 12 21 (0)
Daemen Daemen 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Men's Volleyball Returns To Win Column

Wildcats Improve To 2-0 At Home, Knock Off AIC Yellow Jackets

AMHERST, N.Y. – Ten different players recorded kills as the Daemen University men's volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 non-conference victory over visiting American International College at Lumsden Gymnasium today. The Wildcats racked up 38 kills - more than double AIC's total (17) - on a .343 hitting percentage and were never seriously threatened in the match.

Daemen, which was coming off a 3-0 loss at No. 4 Penn State University, returned to the win column for the first time since their season-opening victory over Princeton University. The Wildcats improved to 2-1 on the season with both of their victories coming at the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium, extending their home-court winning streak to 11 consecutive matches. 

AIC, which is competing in its second season as an NCAA Division I-II independent, dropped to 0-6 this season. 

IMPACT PLAYERS
  • Graduate student Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) saw his most extensive action of the season and supplied a match-high 28 assists to the Daemen cause. He also shared team-high honors with six kills and four digs.
  • Freshman Kyle Zelasko (West Seneca, N.Y.) also contributed six kills while attacking at a .308 clip. 
  • Senior Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) produced a match-hgih 12.5 points. Despite playing in just two sets, Schneider totaled five kills (on a .556 hitting percentage) and added four service aces, three solo blocks and a block assist.
  • Seeing his first action in a Daemen uniform, sophomore transfer Ethan Sturm (Lisle, Ill.) chipped in five kills while sophomores Billy Wieberg (Grand Island, N.Y.) and Jake Basinski (Eden, N.Y.) and senior Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) led the Daemen defense. Wieberg contributed three solo blocks while Basinski and Parker tallied four digs apiece. Their defensive efforts helped limit AIC to just an .059 success rate on attacks.
  • Sophomore Maverick O'Neill (East Amherst, N.Y.) recorded four kills and three service aces, finishing with eight points in the match.
  • Wilmer Rodriguez paced AIC with six kills and five digs.
GAME NOTES
  • Daemen accepted an invitation to join the Northeast Conference back in May, marking a significant stride for the program which has competed as an NCAA Division I-II independent since its inception in 2019. With support from the First Point Volleyball Foundation, the NEC announced men's volleyball as the league's 25th championship sport in September of 2021.
  • Daemen was picked to finish fourth in the NEC men's volleyball preseason poll.
  • Daemen is ranked fifth in in the first Off The Block Division II Coaches Poll of the 2023 season.
  • Daemen improved to 3-0 in the all-time series with AIC. The Wildcats swept their season series with the Yellow Jackets in 2022 and will have an opportunity to do the same this year when the teams meet February 4 in Springfield, Mass.
  • Schneider, who was named the First Point/NEC Player of the Week on Tuesday, is averaging a team-high 3.11 kills per set this season.
  • Daemen trailed 12-10 in the first set, but rattled off six straight points to take control. Schneider accounted for four points in the rally (one kill, three service aces). The Wildcats wouldn't trail again until early in the third set.
  • Daemen jumped out to a 17-6 lead and cruised to a win in the second set. The Wildcats amassed 13 kills on a .647 hitting percentage in the frame.
  • Looking to push the match to a fourth set, AIC held a 20-19 lead in the third, but back-to-back kills from Sturm helped Daemen get back in control. The Wildcats took six of the final seven points, including a kill from Krueger to seal the deal.
  • Daemen amassed 56 points in the match while limiting AIC to just 21. The Yellow Jackets were held without a service ace, while Daemen tallied nine of them.
  • The Wildcats are now 37-9 in their last 46 matches, a span that dates back to February 2020. Daemen owns a 16-3 home record in that span. The Wildcats have not lost at home since Jan. 29, 2022 - a 3-2 setback to St. Francis College Brooklyn. 
UP NEXT
Daemen is idle until Jan. 28 with it hosts Central State University in a non-league match.
 

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 men's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenMVB.
 
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