CLARION, PA. – The Daemen University women's volleyball team split the day with a win and a loss on Saturday at the Tony Banner Memorial Tournament. The Wildcats dropped their opening match in a 2-3 decision against Franklin Pierce but rebounded with a 3-0 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan to finish out the tournament.
FRANKLIN PIERCE 3, DAEMEN 2
The Wildcats battled back from a two-set deficit to force a fifth set against the Ravens but could not close out the final set, falling to Franklin Pierce 2-3 (16-25, 23-25, 25-17, 27-25, 11-15) in the first of two matches on Saturday.
FPU jumped to an early 6-3 lead after taking advantage of service aces and Daemen's attack. The Wildcats closed the gap with a service ace by
Mollie Berry, tying the score at 6-6. Despite Daemen's efforts, including a trio of kills from
Audrey Johnson (Mequon, Wisc.), Franklin Pierce maintained their lead through consistent scoring as the Ravens secured a 25-16 victory.
The second set saw a tense battle between the two teams, with momentum shifting frequently. FPU took an early lead with a service ace, but the Wildcats quickly responded, with
Jolie Faw (Williamsburg, VA.) and Johnson contributing key kills to keep the score tight.
Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) and Faw each executed crucial plays, helping Daemen pull even at 6-6 after a series of attack errors by the Ravens. Craig's consistent offensive presence was pivotal with her kills keeping Daemen competitive throughout the set. FPU capitalized on Daemen's service and attack errors late in the set, allowing it to narrowly secure the set, 25-23 off an FPU block.
Johnson and
Molly Ryan (Orchard Park, N.Y.) led the Wildcats with critical kills as they narrowed a gap against Franklin Pierce in the third set. After trailing early, 3-0, Daemen tied the score at 11-11 with strong offensive plays, including a pivotal service ace by Faw. The Wildcats then surged ahead, capitalizing on a series of FPU's attack errors.
Jarielys Giraud's (Orlando, Fla.) effective service run contributed to Daemen finishing the set with a 25-17 victory, capped by a block from Faw and
Payton Gaylor (Bowmanville, Ont.).
In the fourth set, Franklin Pierce initially gained momentum with a series of effective plays, leading 6-1. Daemen responded with kills from Faw and Ryan to narrow the deficit to 6-4. Franklin Pierce extended its advantage to 15-11, however, Daemen fought back, leveraging a service ace by
Olivia Urbon (Chicago, Ill.) and solid blocking by Johnson to tie the score at 23-23. Daemen secured the set with a decisive block by Ryan and Faw and a final kill by Johnson, taking the set 27-25.
FPU opened the fifth set with early points off Daemen's errors. Johnson brought Daemen onto the scoreboard with a kill, but the Ravens responded with effective attacks to maintain their edge. Service errors and ball handling mistakes hindered Daemen's momentum. Despite a late effort by Johnson and Craig to narrow the gap to 11-10, Franklin Pierce secured the set, 15-11, and took the match. The Wildcats drop their third straight match to open the season and fall in five sets for the second straight game.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Freshman outside hitter Audrey Johnson tallied her first double-double of her career, leading the Wildcats offensively with 14 kills and chipping in 11 digs, four block assists and one solo block to post a team-best 17 points.
- Junior outside hitter Avery Craig also recorded a double-double, totaling 13 kills and 11 digs along with two aces.
- Sophomore middle blocker Jolie Faw posted nine kills and a team-high eight block assists, adding four digs and one ace.
- Junior setter Jarielys Giraud tallied 28 digs, one ace and three assists.
- Senior setter/outside hitter Molly Ryan finished with a double-double for the third straight match, totaling 19 assists, 16 digs, six kills and four block assists.
- Senior setter Maddie Schamaun (Rockville, Md.) totaled 21 assists, two aces and four digs.
DAEMEN 3, WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN 0
The Wildcats rebounded the weekend with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-20) win over the Bobcats. Daemen out-hit West Virginia Wesleyan 35 to 28 and finished with a .295 hitting percentage in their first win of the season.
Daemen opened the first set with strong momentum, capitalizing on a service error to gain an initial advantage. Urbon followed with a service ace, pushing Daemen to a 2-0 lead. Craig's consistent serving, including multiple aces, extended the Wildcats' lead to 14-4. Daemen's dominance continued with a decisive block from
Jolie Faw and Craig, culminating in a 25-11 victory with Faw sealing the set with a kill off a Schamaun assist.
In the second set, Daemen recovered from a slow start after West Virginia Wesleyan took an early 2-0 lead. Urbon's service aces sparked a momentum shift, contributing to Daemen's 5-2 advantage. Craig and Faw consistently capitalized on their teammates' setups, with Craig delivering multiple kills and Faw adding service aces to keep Daemen ahead. Despite a comeback attempt from West Virginia Wesleyan, which tied the score at 14-14, the Wildcats maintained composure. The set concluded with Daemen exploiting attack errors from West Virginia Wesleyan, securing a 25-20 victory.
Daemen secured a victory in the third set, overcoming West Virginia Wesleyan with a 25-20 score. Craig and Johnson played pivotal roles, each contributing multiple kills throughout the set.
Peyton Lowes (Northville, Mich.) delivered back-to-back service aces early on, helping Daemen establish a lead.
Mollie Berry's service ace brought Daemen to match point, and
Payton Gaylor's kill, assisted by Berry, clinched the final point to conclude the set.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Craig led the Wildcats offensively with 10 kills on 21 attacks with just two errors, finishing with a .381 hitting percentage while adding four block assists, three aces and seven digs.
- Junior right side Payton Gaylor (Bowmanville, Ont.) totaled seven kills with no errors on 17 attacks for a .412 and added a block assist and one dig.
- Jolie Faw totaled six kills on eight attacks while hitting at a .750 clip adding six blocks (five block assists, one solo block), three aces and three digs.
- Maddie Schamaun totaled 15 assists, six digs, two aces and one kill. Peyton Lowes added 10 assists, three aces, seven digs and one kill.
