Daemen University Athletics

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. — Daemen (16-11, 8-4 ECC) fell to D'Youville (16-13, 8-4 ECC) 3-0 in the ECC Championship Semifinals on Friday at Neil Judge Student Athlete Center. The Wildcats were held to a .035 hitting percentage with 27 kills, though they pushed the third set to 33-31 after dropping the first two sets 25-18 and 25-14. With their victory, the Saints move on to play Mercy in the ECC Championship Final on Saturday. 

The Wildcats pulled even twice early in the first set, including at 4-4 on Jolie Faw's (Williamsburg, Va.) kill from Maddie Schamaun (Rockville, Md.). After Payton Gaylor's (Bowmanville, Ontario) kill kept the Wildcats within 7-6, D'Youville used a three-point stretch to move ahead. The Wildcats stayed within 16-12 behind an Amelia Gonzalez (Juana Díaz, P.R.) kill, an Avery Craig (Tomball, Texas)-Gonzalez block, and a Mina Faw (Williamsburg, Va.)-Jolie Faw block, but D'Youville answered with three consecutive points to go up 19-12 and extended the margin to 23-14. A D'Youville service error and two Ulinski attack errors brought the Wildcats to 23-17, and Gonzalez added a late kill before D'Youville's 25-18 set win.

The second set opened with four D'Youville taking a 9-1 lead. The Wildcats took two straight points to reach 9-3 before consecutive Angelyn Jaramillo aces, and after Craig and Gaylor added kills later in the set. After D'Youville pushed ahead 21-7, Gonzalez and Mina Faw put down back-to-back kills, but Maddie Boglev answered with a kill for 22-9. Jolie Faw and Gaylor combined on a block, Audrey Johnson joined Faw on another to bring the Wildcats to 23-12, and after Faw's kill and Johnson-Gonzalez block kept the set going, D'Youville finished the set at 25-14 on a Wildcats attack error.

In the third set, D'Youville scored the first three points, but the Wildcats answered behind a Mina Faw kill, a Jolie Faw-Johnson block, and a Johnson kill to move in front 4-3 before extending the edge to 6-4.  After the Wildcats went up 24-21 on back-to-back assisted blocks and a Mina Faw kill, D'Youville scored the next three points to tie the set at 24-24 and force extra points. The Wildcats had late leads at 25-24, 26-25, 28-27, 29-28 and 31-30, but D'Youville answered each time and closed the set 33-31 on an attack error and an Ashley Ballou service ace.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Mina Faw led Daemen with seven kills and eight points, adding two block assists. 
• Jolie Faw recorded a team-high six total blocks and added four kills.
• Ryan finished with a team-best nine assists.
• Craig collected seven digs to go with five kills and two block assists.