AMHERST, N.Y. -- For the fourth time this season, Daemen University men's volleyball graduate student Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) has been tabbed the First Point/Northeast Conference Player of the Week after helping the Wildcats punch their ticket back to the NEC Tournament.

Leading the Wildcats offensively in both matches against Saint Francis this weekend, Schneider finished with 28 kills (4.0 kills/set) while hitting at a .322 percentage as the Cats split with the league's top team this weekend. The graduate student outside hitter totaled 14 kills in both matches against Saint Francis while adding nine digs, three aces, three assists, one solo block and one assisted block on the weekend. 

In his sixth season with the Wildcats, Schneider has started in 18 of Daemen's 23 matches this season and leads the Wildcats offensively with 255 total kills to average 3.86 kills/set (third in the NEC) while hitting at a .306 clip (third in the NEC). The graduate student has 26 aces (0.39 aces/set ranks fourth in the league) and is third in the NEC with 4.61 points/set this season while adding 1.42 digs/set (94 total, second on the team) along with 38 total blocks. 

Daemen enters the final weekend of regular season play with a 12-11 overall record and 3-3 record in NEC action. The Wildcats will host crosstown rival D'Youville on Friday night at 7 PM in their final regular season home game where they will honor Schneider and Ethan Sturm in Senior Night celebrations. On Saturday, Daemen will travel down the road to play at D'Youville at 4 PM. 

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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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