Geoff Schneider

Wildcats Play WNY Rivals Roberts Wesleyan, D'Youville This Week

10/6/2026 3:17:00 PM

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

Match #17: Daemen Wildcats vs. Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks | Wednesday, Oct. 7 | 6:30 PM | Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium

Live Stream & Stats: FloCollege (Subscription Required) | Live Stats

MIDWEEK ACTION
The Daemen University women's volleyball team returns to Lumsden Gymnasium on Wednesday, Oct. 7 for a midweek match up against longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan at 6:30 PM, and hit the road on Sunday, Oct. 11 to play crosstown rival D'Youville at 11 AM. The Wildcats come into the match with a 9-7 overall record and 1-1 record in East Coast Conference play after splitting their ECC opening weekend. The Redhawks are 2-13 overall and 0-2 in conference play while D'Youville is 8-9 on the year and 1-1 in ECC action.

LAST WEEK
The Wildcats are coming off a split weekend that opened up conference play. Daemen collected a 3-0 sweep over St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday in their ECC opener, finishing with advantages in kills (36-26), service aces (12-4) and hitting percentage (.142-.068). Junior outside hitter Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) finished with a team-high 10 kills and added seven digs along with two aces for a team-high 12.5 points. Senior middle blocker Amelia Gonzalez (Juana Diaz, P.R.) led the team with five blocks -- two solo -- and added seven kills for a team-high .353 clip along with five digs for 11.5 points on the day. Freshman outside hitter Audrey Johnson finished with a career-high seven aces, chipping in eight digs and four kills. Senior setter Maddie Schamaun (Rockville, Md.) totaled 19 assists, five digs and one ace. Freshman defensive specialist Mollie Berry (Evergreen Park, Ill.) totaled a team-high 11 digs.

The Wildcats looked to extend their win streak to four games on Sunday against the reigning ECC champions Mercy Mavericks, but after a fourth-set comeback to fource the game to five sets, the Wildcats fell to Mercy, 2-3. The Mavs outhit the Cats 66-43 on the day. Johnson notched her fifth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 12 digs, adding one ace and one block assist for a team-high 15.5 points. Schamaun finished with 24 assists, 10 digs, four kills, and two aces, marking her fifth double-double of the year. Craig dominated in all facets, totaling nine kills, seven digs, two aces and two blocks. Junior right side Payton Gaylor (Bowmanville, Ont.) tallied eight kills, eight digs and two blocks in the loss. Sophomore middle blocker Jolie Faw (Williamsburg, Va.) posted a team-high four blocks and added three kills.

CONFERENCE PLAY
Daemen was selected third in the 2026 ECC Preseason Poll, behind only Mercy (49 points, 7 first-place votes) and Molloy (38 points). The Wildcats garnered 37 points in the pregame poll after finishing third in the conference last season. Daemen has been dominant in conference play since 2021, tallying a 52-8 record in ECC action over the past five seasons, including three consecutive years of undefeated records (2021-23). In head coach Kaysie Shebeneck's first season at the helm in 2025, the Wildcats went 8-4 in ECC matches, only dropping conference games against Mercy and Molloy who placed first and second in the ECC a year ago. Through the first weekend of ECC action, only Mercy sits undefeated in conference play (2-0) and only Roberts Wesleyan is winless (0-2), with five teams sitting at 1-1.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats are back home next weekend to host St. Thomas Aquinas (Saturday, Oct. 17) and Mercy (Sunday, Oct. 18).

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Roberts Wesleyan has had a tough time getting into the win column so far this season, coming into Wednesday's match with a 2-13 record and 0-2 start to ECC play, dropping both matches of their conference opening weekend to Queens and Molloy. The Redhawks are being outhit 11.9 to 9.4 on the year and are allowing their opponents to hit an average of .199 per game while hitting just .113. Senior outside hitter Camryn Karelus leads the Redhawks offensively with 168 kills, ranking fourth in the conference with 3.11 per set, and also has a team-high 20 aces. Sophomore middle hitter Rachel Dixon ranks sixth in the ECC with 37 total blocks (0.71/set) and is third on the team with 70 kills. Daemen is 41-20 all-time against the Redhawks, and has won the last 22 consecutive matches between the two teams, a streak that dates back to 2015.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
In the second year under head coach Allison Post, D'Youville sits at 8-9 on the year and 1-1 in ECC action, beating Molloy in their conference opener but falling in five sets to STAC this past weekend. The Saints average 10.8 kills per set and are led by a pair of heavy hitters. Senior outside hitter Madeline O'Brien leads the team with 196 kills and ranks sixth in the ECC with 2.93 kills/set, while junior outside hitter Cameron Ulinski ranks fifth in the league with 3.08 kills/set and totals 188 kills on the year while also leading the team with 33 aces (0.54/set ranks fourth in the ECC). Daemen is 13-2 all time against D'Youville and won both matches between the crosstown rivals last season.

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