AMHERST, NY – The Daemen University men's volleyball team got into the win column with a 3-0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-18) win over American International College in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats improve to 1-1 on the year, while AIC drops to 1-2. 

After American International earned the first point of the opening set, the Wildcats returned with favor with a 5-0 run and never trailed at one point from then on. Daemen tallied 32 kills with a .391 hitting percentage in the match. The Wildcats also led the match with seven total blocks to AIC's one.

Ten different Wildcats recorded kills in the match, led by junior outside hitter Billy Wieberg (Grand Island, N.Y.) who finished with six.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Wieberg totaled 6 kills on 10 attacks with just two errors for a .400 hitting percentage. He also had three digs on the day.

• Junior middle blocker Ethan Sturm (Lisle, Ill.) added five kills on five total attempts with a perfect hitting percentage. He added two blocks as well.

• Freshman outside hitter Jack Rooney (Lakeview, N.Y.) saw his first collegiate action today and produced a .385 hitting percentage, landing five kills on 13 total attempts. He also contributed four digs to the win.

• Fifth-year outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) and senior outside hitter Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) both hit .600, going three for five on total kills while seeing action only in the opening set.

• Freshman setter Jariel Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) also saw his first action on Saturday as he contributed 24 assists.

• American International sophomore outside hitter Robert Santana led all players with 13 kills. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• This was the fifth meeting between the Wildcats and the Yellow Jackets. Daemen has won all five meetings and has yet to drop a set in the series.

• After AIC earned the first point in the match, the Wildcats answered, only allowing eight more points from the Yellowj Jackets in the set. Five of their nine total points came from errors by the Wildcats. 

• Daemen held AIC to 24 total kills in the match with three of them coming in the first set. Milligan and Schneider combined for six kills in the frame.

• The Yellow Jackets regrouped for the second set trading points with the Wildcats all set long until Daemen pulled away scoring the final two points of the set to win 25-19. 

• Wieberg led the way for the Wildcats with six of the team's 32 kills. Collectively, the Wildcats hit .391 on the day. AIC standout Robert Santana totaled 13 of the Yellow Jackets' 24 kills. 

• The Wildcats and Yellow Jackets traded points to open up the third set until Daemen went on a 7-0 run to separate the scoring to take a 12-3 lead. Daemen would end up getting the best of AIC in the third 25-18. 

UP NEXT

The Wildcats will welcome NAIA member Warner University (Fla.) to Lumsden Gymnasium on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m.