AMHERST, N.Y. -- The Daemen University women's volleyball team is one of ten teams listed as under consideration for NCAA bids in the East Region in the initial
NCAA Division II Regional Rankings, as released by the regional advisory committee through games completed by Oct. 26, 2022. The East Region consists of the top teams from the East Coast Conference, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, and the Northeast-10 Conference, and the regional rankings are used to determine at-large bids to the East Regional portion of the NCAA Tournament following conference tournaments at the end of the season.
American International sits atop the East Region with a 17-2 regional record. Thomas Jefferson University ranks second (17-6), Adelphi third (15-3), followed by Bentley (15-2) and Daemen (14-4). Saint Anselm (14-5), Holy Family (13-10), New Haven (12-5), Molloy (12-7) and Southern New Hampshire (9-3) rounds out the top 10.
The Wildcats have a 14-4 record in the region, and a 16-5 record on the season. Daemen clinched their second-straight East Coast Conference regular season title with a 3-1 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Wednesday. The Wildcats have won 22 straight ECC regular season games since the end of the 2019 season. Daemen has out-killed opponents 991 to 741 on the season, averaging 13.6 kills per set compared to 10.2 for their opponents. Five Wildcats have recorded triple-digit kills this year, with graduate student outside hitter
Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) leading the way offensively with 193 kills (3.06 kills per set), and senior outside hitter
Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) just trailing Logan with 186 (3.51 kills/set). Junior
Giselle Giraud (Orlando, Fla.) totals 136 (2.31 kills/set), followed by
Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) with 121 (2.12 kills/set) and
Amelia Armstrong (River Falls, Wisc.) at 109 (1.82 kills/set). Kuliga leads the team at the net, totaling 32 of Daemen's 98 blocks on the year. Junior setter
Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) averages 9.31 assists per set on the season.
Daemen was ranked fifth in the first East Region poll last season as well.
The Wildcats are off this weekend, and wrap up the regular season next weekend on the road. Daemen travels to take on Mercy on Saturday, Nov. 5 in the final ECC regular season match of the season, and plays former ECC foe Bridgeport on Sunday, Nov. 6 in the final match before postseason play begins.
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 University women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.
