AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen University women's volleyball team fell to Clarion University 2-3 (25-23, 12-25, 25-17, 21-25, 11-15) in a five-set thriller on Friday night in the first match of Daemen's home tournament, the Wildcat Classic presented by Ellicott Hotels. In a back-and-forth match between the Wildcats and Golden Eagles that featured 97 total kills, Clarion narrowly out-hit Daemen 49 to 48 on the night but stood tall at the net, finishing with 15 total blocks to the Wildcats' nine. Daemen drops to 2-3 on the year while the Golden Eagles improve to 3-2 overall.
Set 1
- Following a five-point run, the Cats jumped out to an 11-7 advantage early after senior outside hitter Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.) posted four kills.
- After Clarion brought the game within one, 16-15, the Wildcats and Golden Eagles traded points until Daemen tied the game up at 21 all. The Wildcats closed out the set on a 4-2 run after kills from sophomore outside hitter Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) and freshman outside hitter Keira Mullen (Farmingdale, N.J.), a Malpica ace and the set winner, a Clarion service error. Daemen won the first 25-23 after totaling 15 kills, five from Craig.
Set 2
- Clarion opened the second set on a 6-0 run, capitalizing on four attack errors from the home team, and extended their lead to 11-3 in the middle of the set.
- Despite a late Daemen rally with a service ace from sophomore outside hitter Olivia Urbon and a kill by freshman middle blocker Solé Rancy, Clarion secured the set 25-12 to tie it up at one a piece.
Set 3
- After early Daemen success, a service ace by senior defensive specialist Mariangelys Vazquez (Bayamón, P.R.) pushed the team ahead 14-11, keeping Clarion at bay during the middle of the set.
- Mullen and Craig contributed crucial kills down the stretch, securing a 23-17 advantage for Daemen. The Wildcats won the third 25-17, capped by a service ace from Craig to give Daemen the 2-1 set lead. The Cats hit at a .345 clip in the third, out-hitting Clarion 13 to 9.
Set 4
- Clarion capitalized on a series of Wildcat errors allowed the Golden Eagles to jump to a 7-4 lead, but after Urbon served an ace that sparked a 3-0 run brought Daemen back to a 13-13 tie.
- Despite efforts to close the gap, Clarion pulled away with a 25-21 victory, capitalizing on attack errors in the final moments to send the game to a fifth set for the first time this season.
Set 5
- Clarion took an early 2-0 lead, but the Wildcats mounted a comeback to even it out at 6-6 following a kill by Craig and a Clarion attack error.
- The Cats and Golden Eagles traded points to tie it up at 10, but from there Clarion closed the match out by winning five of the last six points to top Daemen 15-11 and take the match.
For the fifth straight match, Malpica led Daemen offensively, totaling 15 kills along with a season-high 20 digs. Mullen added 14 kills and was effective at the net with three block assists for a total of 15.5 points. Sophomore libero
Jarielys Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) excelled in the back row, collecting a career-high 28 digs to steady the defense. Additionally, Craig registered eight kills and eight digs, providing a balanced performance for the team.
The Wildcats will play two matches on Saturday at the Wildcat Classic, opening the day with a 12:30 PM match up against Dallas Baptist University and wrapping up their home tournament against Wayne State University at 6:30 PM.
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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