ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Playing in their sixth five-set match this season, the Daemen University women's volleyball team outlasted Roberts Wesleyan University 3-2 (19-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-12, 15-5) in an exciting match up on Wednesday night to close out the first half of East Coast Conference play. The Wildcats improve to 12-6 overall and 4-2 in ECC action after playing every team in the conference once, while Roberts goes to 10-7 and 2-3 in conference matches. It marked the 19^th straight win for Daemen over Roberts Wesleyan in a win streak that dates to October 2015.
 
Three Wildcats tallied double-digit kills as Daemen out-hit Roberts 63 to 48 on 185 swings for a .216 hitting percentage. Six different Wildcats served up 12 aces on the day in the match.
 
Daemen is off for the next week and will return to the court next Thursday, Oct. 24 to play at crosstown rival D'Youville University in a 6 PM match up.
 
IMPACT PLAYERS

• Hitting 20+ for the second time this season, junior outside hitter Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.) led all players with 22 kills on 55 swings for a .291 hitting percentage and posted her seventh, and second consecutive, double-double as she added 18 digs. Malpica finished with two aces and two assists as well for a match-high 24 points.
• Senior middle hitter Amelia Armstrong (River Falls, Wisc.) totaled 12 kills with just four errors on 29 attacks while totaling three digs, two block assists and an assist for 13 points on the night.
• Freshman outside hitter Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) put up her best offensive performance of the season, totaling a career-high 11 kills with zero errors on 27 attacks for a team-high .407 hitting percentage and earned her first career-double double with 13 digs. The native Texan added a solo block, a block assist and two assists to her impressive stat line.
• Graduate student libero Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) totaled 20 digs for the sixth time this season and added six assists and a match-high five aces.
• Senior setter Avery Dole (Summerfield, N.C.) finished with 30 assists, nine digs and an ace. Sophomore setter Molly Ryan (Orchard Park, N.Y.) added 18 assists, two kills, one ace and 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Redhawks got off to a hot start, leading by as much as 11, 14-3. The Wildcats brought the game within five, 16-11, but Roberts Wesleyan maintained a lead throughout the rest of the set to take the first 25-19.
• In the second set it was the Wildcats that got off to a quick start, taking a 10-5 lead early. The Redhawks kept it close, making it a one-point game in the middle of the set, 13-12, but Daemen never gave up their lead despite a late comeback by Roberts Wesleyan. The Wildcats held on to win the set, 27-25, after compiling 18 kills on 41 attacks. Malpica contributed seven kills with one error on 10 attacks in the set.
• After Daemen took a 10-6 lead to kick off the third set, the Redhawks scored six straight points to take a 12-10 lead. The teams traded points back and forth to tie the game up at 18, but from there Roberts scored seven of the final 10 points off four kills to take the second set, 25-21.
• The Wildcats went on an 11-3 run after Roberts opened the match with four unanswered points to take an 11-7 lead over the Redhawks in the fourth. Daemen would go on another 8-1 run off four Malpica kills and one from Armstrong to take a 10-point lead, 19-9. The Wildcats won six of the last nine points to easily win the fourth set 25-12 and send the game to a pivotal fifth set.
• Daemen wasted no time in the fifth set, posting three kills from Giraud, Malpica and Armstrong and four service aces from Brundage to take a commanding 10-2 lead. The Cats won five of the last eight points to take the set, 15-5, and win the match, 3-2.
• The Wildcats totaled 60+ kills for the fourth time this season and the first time since their five-set match against Pitt-Johnstown on Sept. 21.