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Geoff Schneider

Men's Volleyball Remains Ranked Sixth In Latest Off The Block Poll

3/1/2023 9:36:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mary Margaret Johnson, Assistant Athletics Communications Director | mmjohnso@daemen.edu
AMHERST, N.Y. -- The Daemen University men's volleyball team remains ranked sixth in the Off The Block Division II Coaches Poll for week eight of the 2023 season, as released this afternoon. Off The Block is a website solely dedicated to the coverage of collegiate men's volleyball, and conducts a Division II national poll every Wednesday. Daemen has been included in 19 straight OTB polls. 

The Wildcats put together a pair of Northeast Conference victories over the weekend, first topping D'Youville 3-1 on Thursday night in a match that featured five Daemen players tallying seven or more kills against the Saints. The Cats finished the match with 43 kills and just 14 attack errors for a .293 hitting percentage, while Daemen middle hitter Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) led the Wildcats on the floor with 9 kills (2.25 kills per set). Daemen then went on to sweep St. Francis Brooklyn 3-0 in a Sunday afternoon matchup where the trio of Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.), Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) and Kyle Zelasko (Orchard Park, N.Y.) combined for 30 kills to lead the Wildcats to their 10th win of the season. 

For their efforts on the court, Schneider earned his second straight First Point/NEC Player of the Week award, while Zelasko picked up his first ever First Point/NEC Prime Performer honor of his career. Schneider tallied 19 kills (2.71 kills/set), including his 650th career kill, on the weekend and added 15 digs (1.57 digs/set). Zelasko totaled 17 kills (2.43 kills/set) and 17 digs (2.43 digs/set) as well as 6 aces and two blocks on the weekend. 

Daemen is riding a nine-game winning streak, and has a 10-1 overall record and a perfect 5-0 record in NEC play. The Wildcats are 5-0 at home on the year and have won 14 straight matches at Lumsden Gymnasium, a stretch that dates back to Jan. 29, 2022. Daemen remains sixth in the Off The Block poll for the fourth straight week. The Wildcats came into the season ranked fifth in the first poll of the season.

The Wildcats are off this weekend after Saturday's home match with Alderson Broaddus was canceled due to scheduling issues with the women's basketball team hosting the East Coast Conference tournament this weekend. Daemen is idle until next Thursday, March 9 when they play host to Long Island University in a 6 PM match. 

The full poll this week includes:
 
RANK TEAM RECORD POINTS LAST WEEK
1. Charleston (11) 14-1 136 1
2. Lewis (2) 8-9 120 2
3. Lincoln Memorial 11-4 111 3
4. Concordia-Irvine 5-9 103 4
5. McKendree 6-7 80 5
6. DAEMEN 10-1 78 6
7. North Greenville 10-4 44 7
8. Erskine 9-7 36 NR
9. King 9-12 20 8
10. Limestone 8-6 18 9
( ) denotes first-place votes

Both NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II men's volleyball programs compete for the same national championship. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Coaches Poll ranks the top 15 Division I-II men's volleyball teams and is released each Monday during the regular season.

A national voting committee comprised of coaches from the more than 25 Division II teams determines the weekly rankings for the Division II National Coaches Poll.
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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