AMHERST, N.Y. -- The Daemen University men's volleyball team was well represented in the this week's First Point/Northeast Conference weekly awards as
Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.),
Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) and and
Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) all took home weekly honors. The Wildcats swept the player of the week awards as Milligan was named First Point/NEC Player of the Week for the first time this season, Moffitt was named First Point/NEC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time, and Schneider was named a First Point/NEC Prime Performer. The awards are for competitions taking place Jan. 30 through Feb. 5.
Milligan, a 6-foot-4 opposite, tallied 23 kills (3.83 kills per set) for an impressive .478 hitting percentage over two matches. He finished the weekend with three aces, five digs and two assisted blocks. The junior opposite was a key contributor in Daemen's 3-1 victory over Harvard on Friday night, finishing with a career-high 18 kills (4.5 kills/set) and .400 hitting percentage against the Crimson for a season-high 20.5 points. Milligan then posted a five-kill outing in just two sets against American International on Saturday, with four of his five kills coming in the first set alone. He earned a season-high .556 hitting percentage with five kills on nine attacks and no errors, and added four assists, an ace, two digs and an assisted block in Daemen's 3-0 sweep over AIC.
On the season, Milligan leads the Wildcats offensively with 56 kills for 3.50 kills/set and a .336 hitting percentage. He has played in 16 of Daemen's 20 sets on the year, appearing in all but one match, and is tied with Schneider for a team-high eight aces. Milligan totals eight digs on the year and 45 receptions for a .911 reception percentage, while tallying seven total blocks (0.44 blocks per set) on the season. This is his first conference Player of the Week honor, but second weekly award. He was named a Prime Performer last week.
Moffitt, a 6-foot-6 middle hitter, is the first Daemen player to earn the First Point/NEC Defensive Player of the Week honor this season after putting together impressive performances over the weekend. The graduate student totaled seven blocks in the pair of Daemen wins, along with eight kills (1.33 kills/set), two aces and a dig. Moffitt tallied a season-high four assisted blocks in Friday night's 3-1 win over Harvard, then stood tall at the net in Saturday's 3-0 sweep at AIC and posted three blocks (one solo, two assisted) along with a season-tying high six kills on eight attacks for a .750 hitting percentage. On the weekend, Moffitt accounted for four of Daemen's 15 total blocks.
Moffitt leads Daemen with 13 total blocks on the year, accounting for a team-high 11 assisted blocks, and averages 0.72 blocks per set. He has appeared in all six matches of the season and played in 18 of Daemen's 20 sets. The middle hitter ranks third on the team in kills (24) and boasts an impressive .489 hitting percentage with just two attack errors all season long.
Schneider earns an NEC weekly award for the second time this season, being named a First Point/NEC Prime Performer after his performance on Friday night against Harvard. The 6-foot-6 senior outside hitter accounted for 19 kills (4.75 kills per set) on 34 attacks for a .412 hitting percentage, and added two aces, an assist and a dig to lead all Wildcats with 21 points against the Crimson. Schneider tallied a perfect two of two kills against AIC on Saturday along with two digs and two block assists. He ranks second on the team offensively with 49 kills (3.27 kills/set) for a .366 hitting percentage on the year, as well as eight aces, 13 digs and eight blocks on the season.
The Wildcats have been represented in every NEC weekly report since the beginning of their season. Schneider and Milligan have each been named Player of the Week, Moffitt is the first Defensive Player of the Week, and Schnedier joining Milligan,
Sean Califf (Oak Park, Ill.) and
Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) as Daemen players that have been named Prime Performer this season. Califf has twice been named a Prime Performer.
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.
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