Navraj Sandhu

Wildcats Take Aim At Top-Seeded Panthers In East Region Semifinal

12/1/2023 2:31:00 PM

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

SURVIVE AND ADVANCE
The fifth-seeded Daemen University women's volleyball team will face the top-seeded Adelphi Panthers on Friday at 7:30 PM in the NCAA Division II East Region Semifinals. The entire East Regional is being held at the Center for Recreation and Sport on the campus of top-seeded Adelphi in Garden City, N.Y.

QUARTERFINAL COMMAND
The Wildcats punched their ticket to the regional semifinals for the third time in program history after a commanding 3-1 (25-22, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19) victory over fourth-seeded American International College on Thursday night. Daemen and AIC played tight throughout all four sets, with the largest margin of victory coming in the form of Daemen's six-point victory in the fourth set. The Wildcats were led offensively by a pair of First Team All-East Coast Conference players in Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) and Giselle Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) who posted 12 and 11 kills respectively as Daemen put together a 46-kill performance on 149 attacks to finish with a .128 hitting percentage in the victory. Burns posted her eighth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs along with one solo block and three assisted blocks. Giraud totaled 11 kills on 27 attacks with zero errors for a match-high .407 hitting percentage and added four assisted blocks in the victory. Senior setter Olivia Alesi (East Aurora, N.Y.) tallied her 2,000th career assist after posting 10 assists and 11 digs, while senior setter Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) totaled 23 assists and nine digs. ECC Libero of the Year Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) finished with a match-high 22 digs, eight assists and three aces. The Daemen middles Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) and Amelia Armstrong (River Falls, Wisc.) each totaled five assisted blocks in the victory.

DAEMEN IN THE EAST REGION TOURNAMENT
A staple in the postseason in the Daemen's NCAA era (2015-present), Daemen has advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times in the last six seasons (the NCAA did not hold postseason play during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season) and five times overall, coming in with a 6-3 overall record in NCAA Tournament matches. Daemen put together a run for the ages in the 2021 season as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional, topping No. 7 seed Bentley 3-2 in the quarterfinals, No. 3 seed Stonehill 3-1 in the semifinals, and upsetting top-seeded AIC 3-1 to win the program's first ever East Region championship and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Seven Daemen players on the 2023 squad -- Olivia Alessi, Kate Ryan, Vanessa Kuliga, Amelia Armstrong, Maggie Burns, Jasmine Brundage and Dunja Masic -- along with Daemen grad assistant Allison Post were on that record-breaking 2021 Elite Eight team, and are eager to return the Wildcats to the top of the regional tournament once again. Irizarry was the Wildcats' GA during the 2021 season. The Wildcats fell to Saint Anselm 0-3 in the 2022 East Region quarterfinal match, but made up for the 2022 early exit with Thursday night's quarterfinal win over AIC.

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Two Wildcats earned major awards and six Daemen players earned All-ECC honors for their outstanding play in the 2023 season. Senior libero Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) was named the 2023 ECC Libero of the Year after leading the league all season in digs (441) and digs per set (5.01). Named ECC Rookie of the Week six times this season, freshman outside hitter Charlotte Koerber earned 2023 ECC Rookie of the Year after a stellar freshman campaign where she tallied team-highs in kills (287) and kills per set (3.54). Koerber is the first Wildcat to be named Rookie of the Year since Bailey Dolegowski earned ECC Co-Rookie of the Year in 2016. Fifth year outside hitter Maggie Burns, senior right side Giselle Giraud, Brundage and Koerber were all named to the ECC First Team, senior setter Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) earned ECC Second Team honors, and senior middle blocker Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) picked up ECC Honorable Mention. The Wildcats placed six on the All-ECC teams for the third straight season.

ALL-REGION HONORS
Jasmine Brundage and Charlotte Koerber were named to the 14-player American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-East Region Team on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's NCAA Tournaments. This marked the first time in each players' careers that they earned AVCA All-Region honors. Koerber was also named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-East Region Second Team on Wednesday afternoon after a stellar freshman campaign.

THE WILDCATS (25-5)
Daemen entered the East Region Tournament with a 24-5 overall record with the No. 5 seed in the tournament after winning their third consecutive ECC Tournament at Lumsden Gym on Nov. 18. This is the third season that the Wildcats posted 20-plus wins, and they enter the NCAA Tournament riding a seven-match win streak. After last night's victory, the Wildcats notched their 25th win of the season, tying a program-record for wins in the NCAA era (2015-present). The Wildcats' previous two 25-win seasons were in 2016 and 2021, each season they advanced to play in the East Region Championship game. Daemen led the ECC leaders in kills, kills/set, hitting percentage, assists/set, digs/set and service aces this season, with eight players ranking in the top-10 in different statistical categories across the league. As the 2023 ECC Rookie of the Year, Koerber leads the Wildcats with 320 total kills for a team-high 3.48 kills per set along with a team-high 47 aces (0.51 aces/set) and ranks second on the team with 275 digs (2.99 digs/set). Brundage, the 2023 Libero of the Year, leads the league with 495 digs (5.00 digs/set). First Team All-ECC outside hitter Giraud ranks second in the ECC with a .359 hitting percentage and second on the team with 301 total kills (3.07 kills/set). First Team All-ECC outside hitter Burns became the fourth player in Daemen history to total 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, and after seven double-doubles this season, ranks third on the team in kills (237), digs (242) and blocks (25). Second Team All-ECC setter Masic leads the Wildcats with 664 assists (8.00 assists/set) and leads the league with 0.51 aces/set (44 total). Honorable Mention All-ECC middle hitter Kuliga is the only Wildcat to play in all 30 matches on the year and totals 167 kills for a .257 hitting percentage and a team-high 66 blocks (0.64 blocks/set).

THE PANTHERS (26-6)
Adelphi came into the East Regional as the top-seed and host team after going 25-6 overall and 10-1 in Northeast-10 play. The Panthers dropped just one NE10 match in the regular season in a 1-3 decision to AIC on Sept. 30, and fell to New Haven 1-3 in the NE10 championship game after winning 15 straight matches down the stretch. Playing in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the eighth time in the past 10 seasons, Adelphi advanced to their second straight regional semifinal, and fourth since 2015, with a 3-1 victory over eighth-seed Bridgeport on Thursday night. The Panthers return 10 players from last season's team that fell 3-2 in the 2022 East Region final to Southern New Hampshire. Named the 2023 AVCA Player of the Year, graduate student libero Jamie Yonker is a three-time NE10 Libero of the Year and leads all conference players in digs (562) while ranking second in digs per set (5.11) during the regular season. Junior MB Noelle Alberda (leads the team with 309 kills), junior MB Lilyen McCarthy (leads the team with 103 blocks) and graduate setter Brenna Valstead (averages 9.39 assists/set) all earned Second Team All-NE10 honors, while Macarty McQueen earned Third Team All-NE10 honors. Adelphi placed five on AVCA and D2CCA All-Region teams, including head coach Danielle MacKnight who was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year.

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats and Panthers are 2-2 all-time, with Adelphi winning the last two match ups between the teams. Adelphi topped Daemen 3-0 in the early season Adelphi Volleyball Tournament on Sept. 16.

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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