Four Matches Ahead For Wildcats at Adelphi Volleyball Tournament

9/14/2023 9:30:00 AM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. -- The Daemen University women's volleyball team plays their third and final tournament of the regular season this weekend as they travel downstate to Long Island where they will play in four matches in the Adelphi Volleyball Tournament. The Wildcats will kick off the tournament with a 10 AM match against Quincy on Friday, then will take on Wilmington at 4:30 PM on Friday afternoon. Daemen wraps up the tournament on Saturday with a pair of back-to-back matches against New Haven at 12 PM and host Adelphi at 2:30 PM.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK
Daemen went a perfect 3-0 on the weekend at the Wildcat Den Classic presented by Ellicott Hotels. The Wildcats topped California (Pa.) 3-0 on Friday night, and wrapped up their second straight tournament with 3-1 victories over Davis & Elkins and Ohio Dominican on Saturday. Senior Giselle Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) impressed with 30 total kills (3.75 kills per set) for a .438 hitting percentage. Giraud led the team in kills against both Cal and Ohio Dominican, totaling 15 kills against the Vulcans on Friday night, and was named the tournament MVP for her performance. Senior libero Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) played in two matches against Cal and ODU, and totaled 50 digs (7.14 digs/set), including a season-high 27 digs against Ohio Dominican on Saturday.

WEEKLY AWARD
For the second straight week, freshman outside hitter Charlotte Koerber (Munich, Germany) earned East Coast Conference weekly honors, this time picking up the ECC Rookie of the Week award after totaling 25 kills (3.57 kills/set) for a .268 hitting percentage and adding 21 digs (3.0 digs/set), two aces and three total blocks in two matches. Named the ECC Player of the Week in the first weekly awards of the season last week, Koerber tallied two double-doubles in matches against Cal and ODU. Koerber leads the team with 71 total kills (3.23 kills/set), ranks second with 12 service aces (0.55 aces/set) and third on the team with 61 digs (2.77 digs/set), while receiving the most total receptions on the season (112).

THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats field an experienced squad in 2023, returning 11 players and 6 of the 7 starters from last season's successful team. Daemen returns five players that earned All-Conference honors last season, including reigning ECC Player of the Year Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.), who earned AVCA All-Region accolades and was named the 2023 ECC Preseason Player of the Year after leading the league in kills per set (3.33) in 2022. Seniors Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) and Giraud return as heavy hitters from last season, while Kuliga led the team with a .330 hitting percentage (second in ECC), at the service line with 31 aces, and at the net with 41 total blocks. Seniors Brundage and Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) picked up All-ECC honors for the second straight season last year, with Alessi earning ECC Co-Setter of the Year. Daemen added six freshmen this season, with Koerber, Tori Unverdorben (Portville, N.Y.), Kate Trueblood (Granger, Ind.), Amelia González (Juana Díaz, P.R.), Abby Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) and Molly Ryan (Orchard Park, N.Y.) all looking to make an impact on the team in 2023.

THE HAWKS
After posting a 28-3 season that ended in the Midwest Regional semifinals in 2022, Quincy comes into Friday's matchup with a 6-1 record on the year, falling only in their fourth match of the season 3-2 to Texas A&M Kingsville at the Javalinas' season-opening home tournament. After graduating five of their starters from the 2022 team, the Hawks are out-hitting their opponents by an average of 14.2 to 10.9 kills per set, and have a .275 hitting percentage per game through seven matches. 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter Emma Wijnbergen leads the team with 118 kills (4.54 kills/set) for a .320 hitting percentage on the year. Starters sophomore middle blocker Alice Pavan and freshman outside hitter Susanna Beretti rank second and third on the team in kills, with 72 and 70, respectively. Pavan leads the team with 23 blocks this season alongside freshman middle blocker Erin Matzke with 21.

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats and Hawks have only met once before, with Quincy coming away with the 3-0 victory in Daemen's third match being a full Division II team in September of 2015.

THE WILDCATS
Wilmington went 16-15 in the 2022 season, but opened up the 2023 season with a 5-2 record. The Wildcats played two ECC teams over the weekend at their host Wildcat Regional Invitational and went 1-1 against Daemen's fellow conference members, first falling to Queens 3-1 before picking up a 3-1 win over Molloy on Saturday. Wilmington is averaging 10.32 kills per set through seven matches this season, and are led by freshman outside hitter Cailyn Smiley who has 82 total kills (2.93 kills/set) and ranks second on the team with 83 digs (2.96 digs/set). Senior defensive specialist Elly Collins leads the Wildcats with 150 digs (5.36 digs/set), while sophomore middle hitter Shannen Litten has 29 of Wilmington's 57 total blocks on the year.

SERIES HISTORY
The two Wildcats have squared off four times prior to Friday afternoon's matchup, with Daemen owning a 3-1 series lead. Daemen topped Wilmington 3-0 in the last meeting on Sept. 20, 2019 at Lumsden Gymnasium.

THE CHARGERS
New Haven finished the 2022 season with a 16-12 overall record, and return eight players from last season's squad. After opening up the 2023 season with a 3-1 record at the Ashland University Tournament, the Chargers went 0-3 over the weekend at the Bentley Invitational, dropping matches to Tampa, Bentley and AIC, and come into this weekend's tournament with a 3-4 overall record. Junior outside hitter Macy Brown leads the Chargers offensively with 99 kills (3.81 kills/set) with a .218 hitting percentage, as well as a team-high 16 aces on the season. Senior setter Michelle Henwood averages 7 assists per set, has three double-doubles on the year and ranks second on the team with 65 total digs (2.5 digs/set).

SERIES HISTORY
Since the series started in 2015, Daemen and New Haven have played four matches, with the Chargers owning a 3-1 lead over the Wildcats. Most recently, Daemen dropped a 2-3 decision to New Haven in September of 2021 at the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks Tournament, marking their second straight loss to the Chargers.

THE PANTHERS
After a 23-11 season in 2022 that ended in a 2-3 loss to Southern New Hampshire in the East Region Championship, Adelphi comes into their home tournament with a 3-3 record, with all three losses coming at the Ferris State Invitational. The Panthers return 12 players from last season's championship roster, including junior middle blocker Noelle Alberda who leads the team with 62 kills (3.10 kills per set) with a .281 hitting percentage and ranks second with 11 total blocks on the year. Sophomore outside hitter Macarty McQueen and junior middle blocker Delaney Kiendra each have 40+ kills, with 43 and 49, respectively. Libero Jamie Yonker leads the Panthers defensively with 102 digs (5.67 digs/set).

SERIES HISTORY
In the three matches that Daemen and Adelphi have played, the Wildcats lead the series 2-1, however the Panthers notched the last win in the series, picking up a 3-1 victory over the Wildcats on Sept. 30, 2019 at Adelphi's home court.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats will play their final non-conference match before opening up ECC play next weekend. Daemen will travel to New Haven, CT to play at Southern Connecticut State on Friday, Sept. 22, then will begin their quest to win their third straight ECC title with a noon match at Queens on Saturday, Sept. 23. Daemen wraps up the road trip with a noon match on Sunday at Molloy.

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 University women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.

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