Wildcats Welcome Central State, AIC To Lumsden Gymnasium This Weekend

2/20/2025 10:30:00 AM

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

HOME, SWEET HOME
The Daemen University men's volleyball team returns to Lumsden Gymnasium this weekend for a pair of home matches as they welcome the Central State Marauders and American International Yellowjackets to the City of Good Neighbors on Friday (Feb. 21) and Saturday (Feb. 22), respectively. Daemen enters the weekend with a 5-3 record after going 1-1 on the road last weekend, while Central State comes in at 1-7 overall and AIC sits at 2-8 on the year.

LAST WEEKEND
The Wildcats split their road games last weekend, falling at St. Thomas Aquinas, 0-3, on Saturday but getting back on track with a 3-0 sweep over Dominican on Sunday. In Saturday's loss, the Spartans hit an impressive .536 over the Wildcats today, narrowly outkilling the Cats 36 to 34 on the day. The difference for Daemen was the errors; the Wildcats compiled 39 errors over three sets in the loss. Redshirt junior outside hitter Billy Wieberg (Grand Island, N.Y.) led all players offensively with 15 kills and just two errors on 23 attacks while hitting .565 and adding three digs in the match. On Sunday, the Wildcats totaled 37 kills on 73 attacks with just 10 errors to finish with a .355 hitting percentage and top the Chargers 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-23). For the second straight game, Wieberg led the Wildcats offensively, totaling 14 kills while hitting at a .400 clip in the win.

STAT CATS
Daemen graduate student outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) sits at the top of the Northeast Conference in hitting percentage (.386), points (4.73/set) and service aces (0.55/set, 12 total) and ranks second in kills at 3.86/set, 85 total and is ninth in the NEC in digs (1.5/set). Sophomore middle blocker Ondrej Arabasz (Jicin, Czech Republic) is second in the league with a .371 hitting percentage and ranks eighth in blocks (0.7/set) while Wieberg is sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.265), seventh in kills (2.68/set), third in service aces (0.52/set), and seventh in points (3.38/set). Junior libero Kyle Zelasko (West Seneca, N.Y.) is second in digs (2.0 digs/set), sophomore setter Jariel Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) is third in assists (8.59/set) and seventh in blocks (0.77/set), senior middle blocker Maverick O'Neill (East Amherst, N.Y.) is sixth in the league in blocks (0.83/set) and redshirt freshman Patrick Mullen (Farmingdale, N.J.) is 10th in aces (0.30/set).

PRESEASON POLL
Daemen was selected second in the 2025 Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Saint Francis University, winners of the past two NEC regular season titles, was picked first in the preseason poll and garnered three first-place votes. The NEC Tournament-winning Wildcats earned one first place vote and are tied with Fairleigh Dickinson University for second in the conference. FDU also earned one first place vote. Long Island University is fourth in the conference, and D'Youville University is the fifth and final team in the NEC Preseason Poll.

NEC CHAMPIONS
In their second year playing in the NEC the Wildcats finished second in the 2024 regular season but finished the season on a high, earning the program's first NEC Tournament Championship title after beating Fairleigh Dickinson University, 3-0, in the semifinals and taking down top-seeded Saint Francis University, 3-1, in the conference championship game. The Wildcats compiled a program record 20 wins last season, finishing the 2024 campaign with a 20-6 overall record and a 9-3 record in NEC play.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats will travel to Rochester next Thursday, Feb. 27 to play at Roberts Wesleyan University in a 7 PM match up.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
Central State comes into Friday's match up with a 1-7 overall record after opening up the 2025 season 0-5. The Marauders average 10 kills/set and are led offensively by 6-foot-4 sophomore outside Toulmin Williams IV with 62 kills (2.38 kills/set) and 6-foot-4 senior outside Tyrone Sands with 60 total (2.5 kills/set). 6-foot-1 senior middle blocker Alain Tamo-Noche leads the Marauders at the net with 21 blocks (0.81 blocks/set) along with 6-foot-5 sophomore middle blocker Simon Falayi who has 19 total blocks on the year (0.73/set).

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats are 2-0 against Central State all-time, winning both of the previous matchups in 2022 and 2023 in 3-0 sweeps.

SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS
After going 2-19 in the 2024 season, AIC has already tied last season's win record and comes into Saturday at 2-8 on the year. The Yellowjackets are hitting 9 kills per set this season and are led offensively by sophomore outside hitter Willie Lopez Morales (3.46 kills/set) who has 121 total kills on the year. Freshman outside Emil Zhmaidziak also adds 2.0 kills/set for the Yellowjackets.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen has won all six matches against the Yellowjackets all-time, beating AIC 3-0 every time.

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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