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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
Women's volleyball celebrates a point at Ashland University Invitational
3
Winner Indiana (PA) IUP 1-0,0-0 PSAC
1
Daemen Daemen 0-1,0-0 ECC
Winner
Indiana (PA) IUP
1-0,0-0 PSAC
3
Final
1
Daemen Daemen
0-1,0-0 ECC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Indiana (PA) IUP 22 25 27 25 (3)
Daemen Daemen 25 17 25 17 (1)
1
West Liberty WL 1-1,0-0 MEC
3
Winner Daemen Daemen 1-1,0-0 ECC
West Liberty WL
1-1,0-0 MEC
1
Final
3
Daemen Daemen
1-1,0-0 ECC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
West Liberty WL 16 21 25 23 (1)
Daemen Daemen 25 25 15 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | CONTACT: Mary Margaret Johnson, Director of Athletics Communications | mmjohnso@daemen.edu

Women's Volleyball Splits Day One Of Ashland University Invitational

ASHLAND, Ohio — The Daemen University women's volleyball team split the first day of the Ashland University Invitational, first falling 1-3 to Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the first match of the day then rebounding with a 3-1 victory over West Liberty University to move to 1-1 after the first day of the 2025 season.
 
MATCH 1, DAEMEN VS. IUP
The Wildcats dropped their season opener to Indiana (Pa.) 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 27-25, 25-17) in a four-set match at the Charles Kates Gymnasium on Friday afternoon. This match marked the first game for new Daemen head coach Kaysie Shebeneck, who played 13 players in the match and saw six Wildcats take the court for the first time in a Daemen uniform.
 
Set 1 
  • After IUP scored the first three points of the match, Daemen tied the game up at 5. A service ace from sophomore libero Jarielys Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) initiated a 4-0 run, pushing the Wildcats ahead 9-7.
  • A Keira Mullen (Farmingdale, N.J.) kill and a service ace from sophomore middle blocker Vera Tops (Senigallia, Italy) extended Daemen's lead to 20-18. Junior middle blocker Kate Trueblood's (Granger, Ind.) kill and a block by senior outside hitter Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.) and Trueblood secured the set for Daemen, 25-22.
Set 2 
  • The Crimson Hawks opened with a 5-1 run, bolstered by a series of errors from Daemen, and a decisive 7-0 run later extended their lead to 10-3. 
  • Despite Daemen's efforts to reduce the deficit, IUP maintained control and secured the set 25-17, capitalizing on multiple errors from Daemen, including crucial service errors.
Set 3 
  • Daemen opened with a series of blocks, taking an early 3-1 lead after successful defensive plays by sophomore outside hitter Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) and Trueblood. Freshman defensive specialist Semaj Manuel (Richmond, Cali.) delivered back-to-back service aces, tying the score at 10-10 and shifting momentum towards Daemen. 
  • Malpica and Trueblood powered a 4-0 run with consecutive kills, giving Daemen a 14-11 advantage. The Cats had a 24-22 lead late, but IUP scored three straight to take a 25-24 advantage and closed out the set 27-25 after a pair of kills to take a 2-1 set lead.
Set 4 
  • Daemen kept it close early, with Craig and sophomore right side Payton Gaylor (Bowmanville, Ont.) each contributing kills, keeping the score tight at 7-6. 
  • Indiana capitalized on Daemen's errors, extending their lead to 11-7 with consistent attacking. 
  • Malpica tried to spark a Daemen comeback, registering multiple kills down the stretch, but Indiana maintained control, closing out the set 25-17. The Crimson Hawks recorded a .407 hitting percentage in the fourth while the Wildcats hit just .083 in the set.
Malpica recorded double-doubles in the loss, with the 2025 ECC Preseason Player of the Year totaling a team-high 13 kills and 15 digs. In her first game as a Wildcat, Mullen finished with 11 kills. Trueblood showcased her blocking skills with a career-high six total blocks, finishing with nine points overall. Giraud contributed with a team and career high 17 digs, reinforcing the defensive strength of the team. Fifth year setter Avery Dole (Summerfield, N.C.) facilitated the offense with 19 assists, complementing her two kills and four digs across four games. A total of 13 Wildcats saw action during the match.
 
MATCH 2, DAEMEN VS. WEST LIBERTY
Daemen beat West Liberty 3-1 (25-16, 25-21, 15-25, 25-23) in their second game of the day on Friday night, marking the first win for head coach Kaysie Shebeneck and the first win of the season for the Wildcats.

Set 1
  • After trading points early on with the Wildcats up 12-11, Daemen closed out the set on a 13-5 run to cruise to a 25-16 victory over the Hilltoppers.
  • The Wildcats recorded 13 kills for a .323 hitting percentage. Craig and Trueblood each totaled 3 kills in the first, while Mullen, Gaylor and Malpica all had two first-set kills.
Set 2
  • Much like the first set, the Wildcats and Hilltoppers traded points early in the second. Daemen put together a 5-1 run off three Malpica kills to take a 17-14 lead and stayed handily in the lead for the rest of the set.
  • In Daemen's 8-6 run to end the second, Mullen recorded four of the Wildcats' six kills to help the Cats take the second, 25-21, to take a two-set lead over West Liberty.
Set 3
  • Despite a close start to the third, West Liberty jumped out to a 16-8 lead, taking advantage of Daemen's 10 errors early.
  • The Hilltoppers finished the third set off 25-15, outhitting Daemen 10-5 in the set.
Set 4
  • The Wildcats surged to an early 4-0 lead with two kills from Malpica and a service ace by Craig. Molly Ryan's serve sparked another run, pushing Daemen's advantage to 9-3 after an ace and an attack error by West Liberty. 
  • West Liberty fought back, tying the score at 14-14 following a series of Daemen attack errors. 
  • Daemen regained control late, with Mullen's kill and Giraud's service ace contributing to a decisive 21-19 edge. Gaylor sealed the set and match victory at 25-23 with a kill from Dole's assist. 
Malpica led the Wildcats with 13 kills on 32 attempts, contributing a total of 15 points. Trueblood added to the team's defensive efforts, recording five total blocks. Mullen also made a significant impact at the net, tallying five total blocks and adding nine kills on 21 swings for 12 points. Giraud (14 digs, seven assists and one ace) and Craig (11 digs, six kills, two block assists, one ace, one assist) held it down on the back row with double-digit digs for the second straight match.
 
UP NEXT
Daemen will play two matches on Saturday in the Ashland University Invitational, first taking on host Ashland University at 1 PM and wrapping up the tournament with a 5 PM match against Ursuline College.
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.

Follow the Daemen women's volleyball program on X and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.
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