AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen University women's volleyball team played a tight match against Atlantic Region powerhouse Gannon University in their final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday. The Wildcats fell in four sets to the Golden Knights, 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 23-25, 25-22) to move to 11-6 on the year.
The Wildcats out-hit Gannon 59 to 47 on the night but compiled 33 attack errors compared to just 14 for the Golden Knights. Gannon used their height at the net tonight, out-blocking the Wildcats 15 to 7, totaling 22 block assists and four solo blocks compared to 10 block assists and two solo blocks for the Cats.
Daemen hits the road on Wednesday night to close out the first half of East Coast Conference play at Roberts Wesleyan University. The Wildcats and Redhawks will face off at 7 PM in Rochester, N.Y.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Graduate student right side Giselle Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) posted a season-high 19 kills on 38 attacks for a .368 hitting percentage, adding seven digs, one block assist and one assist to her match-high 19.5 point night.
- Junior outside hitter Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.) had her sixth double-double of the season as she totaled 16 kills and 20 digs along with an ace and one solo block.
- Graduate student libero Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) totaled 17 digs, three assists and one ace.
- Senior setter Avery Dole (Summerfield, N.C.) finished with 28 assists, five digs, one ace, one solo block and two assisted blocks on the night.
- Sophomore setter Molly Ryan (Orchard Park, N.Y.) totaled 17 assists, five digs and one kill.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Gannon led by as much as 9-4 in the first set, and from there, both teams went on 4-0 runs to make it a one-point game, 13-12 Golden Knights on top. Daemen again made it a one-point game late, 18-17, but Gannon won five of the next six points to take a 23-18 lead. Daemen scored the next seven unanswered points off six kills from Malpica, Gonzalez, Gaylor and Ryan to take the first set, 25-23. The Wildcats hit .250 in the set and tallied 19 kills as Malpica led the way with five and Gonzalez and Armstrong added four kills apiece.
- After the Wildcats tied the game up at 10, Gannon scored five unanswered points and held onto the lead for the rest of the set to take the second, 25-18. Daemen out-hit Gannon 10 to 9, but the Wildcats' 10 attack errors in the set was the difference.
- Giraud recorded five kills to open the third set with the Wildcats up 7-3. The Golden Knights then scored eight unanswered points of their own to take an 11-7 lead. The Wildcats knit together six straight points on five kills from Giraud, Craig and Armstrong to go up, 13-11. Gannon took a 17-14 lead after taking advantage of three Wildcat attack errors and two aces and headed into the 20's with a four-point advantage, 20-16. Daemen made it a one-point game late, but Gannon finished off the third set 25-23.
- Gannon and Daemen each took runs to open the fourth set, but after the Wildcats made it a two-point game, 7-5, the Golden Knights went on a nine-point run to take a 16-9 lead. The Wildcats scored eight of the next 10 points to make it a one-point game with Gannon up 18-17. Despite a late push by the Wildcats to keep it within two, the Golden Knights closed out the match with a kill to take the fourth set, 25-22 and the match, 3-1.
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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