Meyer, Kuliga Are ECC Weekly Award Recipients

Meyer Grabs Third Straight ECC Player of the Week Honor

9/20/2021 4:20:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications | (716) 839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. - Caitlyn Meyer (Clarence, N.Y.) and Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) of Daemen College are both among the women's volleyball weekly award recipients for the East Coast Conference announced today in the league's weekly sport report. Meyer has been named the ECC Player of the Week - her third straight selection - while Kuliga was selected as the ECC Rookie of the Week. Both recipients are awarded for their play in matches played September 13-19.

A 6-foot right side, Meyer has made an immediate impact in her first season with the Wildcats after transferring from James Madison. She continued to lead the Wildcat offense during three matches at the Redhawks Tournament this past weekend. The grad student appeared in all 14 sets and totaled 47 kills, 16 digs and 13 blocks en route to her second All-Tournament Team selection of the season. She led the team by averaging 3.36 kills and 0.93 blocks per set while also posting a .283 hitting percentage.

Meyer opened the tournament by recording her second double-double of the season, finishing with 20 kills and 12 digs in a grueling five-set loss to perennial NCAA tournament contender New Haven. It marked just the 17th time in Daemen's NCAA era (2015-present) that a player recorded 20 or more kills in a match, and the second time Meyer has done so this season. She went on to add 17 kills and a season-high six blocks in a 3-2 loss to American International - the preseason favorite in the Northeast-10 Conference - and finished with a team-high 10 kills and four blocks in the Wildcats' 3-1 victory over Stonehill.

Meyer has totaled 148 kills through her first 10 matches with the Wildcats. She leads the East Coast Conference in total kills and kills per set (3.70) while also ranking fourth in hitting percentage (.304). She has recorded at least 10 kills in nine matches this season, including the last eight in a row.

Kuliga has really started to establish herself as a force at the middle of the net, both offensively and defensively. After being named to the All-Tournament Team at the Cavalier Invitational the weekend prior, Kuliga remained strong by averaging 2.29 kills and 0.64 blocks per set with a .467 hitting percentage at the Redhawks Tournament.

Kuliga opened the tournament with a career-best effort vs. New Haven. She racked up 16 kills without committing a hitting error, finishing with a .696 hitting percentage - her second match this season better than .600. She added eight kills on a .375 hitting percentage in the loss to AIC. In the win over Stonehill, she totaled eight kills and a career-high six blocks.

For the season, Kuliga ranks second on the team and fifth in the ECC with 78 kills. She also ranks second in the conference with a .390 hitting percentage.

Meyer, Kuliga and the Wildcats (5-5, 0-0 ECC) will return to action this Saturday, September 25 when they open conference play by visiting Queens (N.Y.).

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 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 College women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.

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