Daemen Earns Northeast Conference Men's Volleyball Sportsmanship Award

6/6/2023 12:29:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Tom McDermott, Director of Athletics Communications | tmcdermo@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. – The Northeast Conference (NEC) announced its Team Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2023 Spring season today, and the Daemen University men's volleyball team earned recognition for its commitment to fair play.

Instituted by league Presidents in 2008, the sportsmanship awards are designed to acknowledge the team in each conference sport that, in the opinion of its peers, most closely demonstrates good sportsmanship based on the NEC Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards of Conduct. Voting is conducted at the conclusion of each season by each team and head coach, who rank teams within the conference based on a set of criteria.

"Good sportsmanship is one of the core values that guides the NEC's commitment to providing a positive student-athlete and fan experience," said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner. "I applaud the institutions who have been recognized by their peers as demonstrating the highest level of respect for the game, their opponents, the officials and their fans."

2023 was the inaugural season for NEC men's volleyball and Daemen demonstrated that a commitment to sportsmanship and athletic success can go hand in hand. The Wildcats finished the season with a program-record 17 wins, as they finished 17-7 overall and placed second in the NEC with an 11-3 conference record. Daemen entered the first ever NEC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, but fell to eventual tournament champion Long Island University in the semifinals. Additional highlights of the 2023 season included a 11-match winning streak and the program's first ever win over a nationally-ranked team, as the Wildcats topped #12 Cal State Northridge on March 18 while on a trip to California over spring break. CSUN entered the match ranked No. 12 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll.

Senior Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) was voted the inaugural NEC Player of the Year, while fellow seniors Sean Califf (Oak Park, Ill.) and Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) and junior Cameron Milligan (Pavilion, N.Y.) joined Schneider on the All-NEC team. Schneider was also named honorable mention All-America by the AVCA, making him the first player in program history to earn AVCA All-America honors.

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 men's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenMVB.

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