Match #20
Daemen Wildcats (15-4, 9-1 NEC) vs. Sacred Heart Pioneers (8-11, 4-6 NEC)
Date: Friday, April 7
Time: 6 PM
Location: Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
Live Stream: via
NEC Front Row
Live Stats: via
daemenwildcats.com
Tickets
Match #21
Daemen Wildcats (15-4, 9-1 NEC) vs. Merrimack Warriors (9-12, 3-7 NEC)
Date: Saturday, April 8
Time: 4 PM
Location: Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
Live Stream: via
NEC Front Row
Live Stats: via
daemenwildcats.com
Tickets
FINAL REGULAR SEASON HOMESTAND
Sitting pretty and alone at the top of the Northeast Conference, the Daemen University men's volleyball team will play their final home matches of the regular season as they host Sacred Heart and Merrimack this weekend. The 15-4 Wildcats and 8-11 Pioneers will face off on Friday night at 6 PM, then Daemen will take on the 9-12 Warriors in a 4 PM match on Saturday afternoon.
THANK YOU, SENIORS
Prior to Saturday's match, the Wildcats will honor four players in Senior Day celebrations, including one player who has been on the team since Daemen's inaugural season in 2019.
As a big prescence in the middle, 6-foot-5
Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) has his name all over the Daemen record book from his four-year career with the Wildcats. He is tied for a single-season program record nine blocks against Sacred Heart (Jan. 22, 2022). Couzens ranks first in the Daemen single season record book for both blocks (57 in 2022) and blocks per set (0.86 in 2021), first and third all-time in hitting percentage (.537 in 2021) and (.403 in 2022), first in service aces (32 in 2022), third and fifth in aces/set (0.43 in 2022) and (0.42 in 2021), sixth all-time in single-season points (205.0 in 2022), seventh and in points per set (2.76 in 2021) and (2.73 in 2022) in a season, eighth in single-season kills (140 in 2022), ninth in sets played (75 in 2022) and 10th in kills per set (1.89 in 2021). In his senior season, Couzens ranks second in blocking with 34 total blocks to average 0.49 blocks/set, and has 96 kills (1.39 kills/set) for a .327 hitting percentage along with 11 aces and 31 digs.
A huge personality on and off the court and the leader of the Daemen bench mob, outside hitter
Matthew Garry (Lancaster, N.Y.) wraps up his career as a Wildcat appearing in 17 matches and 39 sets. Garry has tallied 63 total kills (1.62 kills/set) on 138 attempts for a .254 hitting percentage, and added 12 service aces (0.31 aces/set), 41 total digs (1.05 digs/set) and 12 blocks. In his four years at Daemen, Garry has helped the Wildcats to a 53-17 overall record.
Heavy hitting
Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) has been a Wildcat since the program's inception in 2019, and has been a major part of Daemen's success in his five year career. Appearing in 285 sets over 81 matches, Moffitt has totaled 438 kills (1.54 kills/set) on 862 attempts for a .377 hitting percentage, while racking up 179 total blocks (0.6 blocks/set), 102 digs (0.36 digs/set) and 582.5 total points (2.04 points/set). The middle hitter is ranked in the top-ten in seven different categories for Daemen's single season records. He holds three of the top ten records for blocks per set (T-1st with 0.86 in 2021, 3rd with 0.77 in 2020 and 7th with 0.56 in 2022), he ranks second (46 in 2022) and fourth (40 in 2019) in total blocks in a season, he ranks fourth (.383 in 2022) and eighth (.278 in 2019) all-time in single-season hitting percentage, tenth all-time in single-season kills (129 in 2022), ninth in points (167.5 in 2022), second all-time in sets played (82 in 2022), and has two records for matches played, including being tied for first with 23 matches during the 2019 season, and tied for eighth with 22 matches played in 2022. In his graduate season, Moffitt ranks third on the team with 122 kills for a team-leading .429 hitting percentage, and leads the Wildcats at the net with 51 total blocks.
Playing both outside hitter and libero during his four year Daemen career, senior
Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) has left his mark on the Wildcat men's volleyball program. Parker is ranked in the top-ten in seven different categories for Daemen's single-season records, as well as holding the single-game record for digs in a four-set match (15 vs. St. John Fisher on Feb. 1, 2020). He holds three of the top five program records for digs per set in a single season (3rd with 1.70 in 2022, 4th with 1.62 in 2021 and T-5th with 1.57 in 2020), he's fourth all-time in single-season digs (119 in 2022), he's tied for fourth all-time in aces (23 in 2022) and 10th in service aces per set (0.33 in 2022), he ranks ninth and tenth all-time in kills per set (2.03 in 2021 and 1.89 in 2022), ninth all-time in single season kills (132 in 2022), and tenth in single-season points (167 in 2022). Parker has appeared in 207 sets over 60 matches in his four-year career, totaling 271 kills (1.31 kills/set) on 722 attacks for a .199 hitting percentage. He has tallied 298 career digs (1.44 digs/set), 61 assists, 50 total blocks, 49 service aces and 352 total points (1.70 points/set).
WILD WINS
Daemen picked up a pair of huge five-set victories over the weekend, including their biggest win in conference play this season in a battle of the top two teams in the NEC. On Friday night, the Wildcats staved off Long Island University in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory to take sole possession of first place in the league, and clinched a berth in the inaugural NEC Championship Tournament, to be held April 19 through 22. Four Daemen players tallied double-digit kills in the win over the Sharks, with junior opposite
Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) leading the way with 17 kills on 40 attacks after an outstanding fifth set performance that got the Wildcats the victory. Moffitt finished with 14 kills, while Couzens and senior outside hitter
Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) each tallied 12 kills. Senior defensive specialist
John Jaworski (Naperville, Ill.) pulled a career-high 15 digs in the win. Senior setter
Sean Califf (Oak Park, Ill.) posted 52 assists in helping the Wildcats to a 63-kill outing. On Saturday, the Cats played in their fourth five-set game in the last five matches, and pulled off the 3-2 win over St. Francis College Brooklyn. Schneider led all players on the court with an 18-kill, 18 dig performance for his third double-double of the season. Milligan finished with 16 kills, Califf added 50 assists and Jaworski finished with 11 digs in the win. The pair of victories moved Daemen to 15-4 on the year and 9-1 in NEC play.
LEAGUE STANDINGS
Daemen's 9-1 conference record has the Wildcats solely at the top of the NEC with a playoff berth clinched. Long Island and Saint Francis are the only other teams in the league to have clinched a trip to the NEC tournament, and the two teams sit tied for second place, both with an 8-2 record in conference play. With the top six teams getting into the tournament, St. Francis Brooklyn, Sacred Heart and Merrimack all currently in fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectively.
1. Daemen (9-1) *
T2. LIU (8-2) *
T2. Saint Francis (8-2) *
4. St. Francis Brooklyn (4-6)
5. Sacred Heart (4-6)
6. Merrimack (3-7)
7. D'Youville (2-8)
8. FDU (2-8)
* Clinched NEC Tournament berth
WEEKLY AWARDS
For their efforts last week, Schneider and Califf picked up weekly Northeast Conference honors, with each being named a First Point/NEC Prime Performer for the week. Schneider totaled 30 kills and 27 digs for a .248 weekend hitting percentage, while Califf tallied 102 assists for an average of 10.2 assists per set along with 18 digs. The Wildcats have been included in 11 of a possible 12 weekly awards since the beginning of the season.
JOHN WITH THE DIGS
With his 26-dig weekend, Jaworski was named the Off The Block National Libero of the Week, becoming just the second Daemen player to earn an OTB weekly award this season. Schneider was named National Outside Attacker of the Week after his outstanding performance in Daemen's three-match California trip in mid-March. Jaworski's 15 dig performance marked a career high for the senior defensive specialist, and tied the season-high in digs for all Daemen players this season (Califf posted 15 digs against Saint Francis on March 25) until Schneider's 18-dig match on Saturday against the Terriers.
STAT CATS
In matches played through April 6, Daemen ranks atop the NEC in points (15.81 points/set), hitting percentage (.287), assists (11.01 assists/set), lowest opponent hitting percentage (.202), kills (12.04 kills/set), service aces (1.74 per set) and fewest opponent aces (1.14 per set). The Wildcats rank second in the league in opponent assists (9.74 assists/set), opponent kills (10.61 kills/set), blocks (2.03 blocks/set) and opponent digs (8.54 digs/set). Moffitt leads all NEC hitters with an impressive .429 hitting percentage and ranks seventh in the league in blocks (0.73 blocks/set). Schneider leads the Wildcats with 241 kills and ranks second behind Moffitt in the NEC in hitting percentage (.356) and fourth in the league kills per set (3.60) on the year, while ranking second in the league in points (4.33 points/set) and ranking second on the team in service aces (24) and digs, tallying 125 on the season to average 1.87 digs/set. Milligan ranks fifth in the NEC for service aces (0.32 aces/set) and eighth in both kills (2.96 kills/set) and points (3.60 points/set). Califf ranks second in the NEC in assists (9.25 assists/set) and sixth in digs (1.93 digs/set), while Zelasko is second in the NEC for service aces (0.39 aces/set).
IN-CONFERENCE STATS
Through 10 NEC matches, the Wildcats have shown out against their conference opponents. Two Wildcats rank in the top-five in hitting percentage (Moffitt leads the league with a .455 percentage, Couzens ranks second with .405, and Schneider is sixth with a .333 percentage). Schneider ranks fifth in kills (3.34 kills/set), Califf leads the league in assists (9.63 assists/set), while Zelasko (0.57 aces/set), Schneider (0.39 aces/set) and Milligan (0.34 aces/set) are three of the top four players in service aces in conference play.
POLL POSITION
The Wildcats remain ranked fifth in the
Off The Block Division II Coaches Poll for week 13 of the 2023 season, as released on Wednesday. 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 23 straight OTB polls
UP NEXT
Daemen travels to play at Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Francis next weekend for the final matches of the regular season. The Wildcats will take on FDU on Friday at 5 PM, then play the Red Flash on Saturday in a 4 PM match.
SCOUTING THE SACRED HEART PIONEERS
After opening the season with a 1-5 record, the Pioneers come into Friday's match with an 8-11 overall record on the season and a 4-6 record in NEC play this year. Sacred Heart is narrowly out-killing their opponents on the season, averaging 11.2 kills per set compared to 10.7 from their counterparts on the other side of the net. The Pioneers rank fifth out of eight teams in the NEC in points (14.36 per set) and hitting percentage (.238), but rank seventh in the league in opponent hitting percentage, allowing a .253 hitting percentage each match. The one-two punch of junior outside hitters
Mark Berry and
Patrick Mucherino lead the team with 207 and 205 kills a piece on the year, respectively. Graduate student middle blocker
Ife Loverton ranks third in the league in hitting percentage (.329) behind only Moffitt and Schneider, while Berry ranks seventh in the league with a .284 hitting percentage. Sacred Heart senior setter
Tyler Kwinta ranks fourth in the NEC in assists (8.92 assists per set).
SERIES RECORD
All-Time Record: 1-1
Last Meeting: 3-2 Daemen (25-13, 24-26, 28-30, 25-21, 15-11) | Feb. 19, 2023 | Fairfield, CT
SCOUTING THE MERRIMACK WARRIORS
Playing in their first season, the Warriors have put together a 9-12 overall record, while posting a 3-7 record in NEC play. Merrimack is out-killing opponents 10.5 to 9.9 thanks to the heavy hitting of five Warriors who have posted triple-digit kills this season.
Zyshonne Lang leads the Warriors offensively with 185 kills (2.37 kills/set), junior outside hitter
Miles Dewhirst ranks second on the team with 173 (2.16 kills/set), while junior middle
Matthew Motes (.320 hitting percentage), senior middle
Xander Thesz (2.01 kills/set) and freshman outside hitter
Logan Whitaker (1.57 kills/set) are a threat as well. Setter
Carson Bashford ranks third in the NEC in assists (8.90 assists/set). Reigning First Point/NEC Defensive Player of the Week in freshman libero
Kyle Standage leads the Warriors with 208 digs on the season, and ranks second in the NEC with an average of 2.57 digs per set.
SERIES RECORD
All-Time Record: 1-0 Daemen
Last Meeting: 3-2 Daemen (25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-11) | Feb. 17, 2023 | North Andover, Mass.
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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