The Daemen Wildcats traveled to North Andover to tackle the Merrimack Warriors for KP’S D I-II Match of the Week on Saturday, March 8th. The 2 applications battled, and the Warriors got here out on prime (27-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20).
Each applications are merchandise of the current development of NCAA including D I-II applications. Merrimack is presently in 12 months three and Daemen is in the midst of their seventh season. “It appears like we’re trending the precise path. They normally say it takes about three years to see a coach’s affect on a program and it appears like issues are coming collectively. We’ve got excessive aspirations as a program and it’s good to see us taking steps in direction of our objectives, “mentioned Merrimack Head Coach Ray Lewis.
When Daemen began their program Don Gleason was on the helm. He not too long ago took the PFW job, and it gave Darek Przybyl a chance to take over this system. Previous to being named the pinnacle coach Przybyl was the Wildcats assistant for six seasons. “My assistant coach, Michael Krueger, and I’ve been with this program since day one, and the transformation in physicality inside our health club is outstanding in comparison with the early years. Our program is on an upward trajectory and can stay aggressive for years. With a powerful 2025 recruiting class, we’re assured that Daemen will proceed making its mark on the nationwide stage. We knew from the beginning that dealing with Merrimack can be a tricky battle. I’ve immense respect for Coach Lewis and the unbelievable program he has constructed. We solely want they had been nonetheless within the NEC so we’d have the possibility to compete in opposition to them once more.” mentioned Daemen Head Coach Darek Przybyl.
The Wildcats used a 6-1 run to go up 13-8 in set one and had been at one level up 18-13. Merrimack made a push to solely path the Wildcats 19-18. The Warriors discovered themselves down late within the set 23-20 and had some well timed factors from outdoors hitter Logan Whitaker. With the Warriors down 23-24 Whitaker had an enormous block and later recorded an ace to assist lead his staff to a 27-25 set win. “Logan was clutch for us. He’s a stalwart of our offense and continues to be dependable in large moments. We worth his management and work ethic,” mentioned Coach Lewis.
In set two the Warriors got here out scorching and jumped out to an 11-6 lead. Initially of the set, brothers Isaiah and Kai Vogal had some key blocks and supplied good service strain. The Wildcats weathered the storm and began chipping away. They took the lead late within the set. The Warriors made a late push, however it was Daemen that took set two 25-22. Coach Przybyl spoke extremely about how his staff by no means offers up and has the maturity to come back to win units if they’re down early. “We’ve got a relentless staff that by no means backs down. Our observe health club is very aggressive, pushing us to raise one another day by day and develop stronger collectively,” mentioned Coach Przybyl.
Early in set three each groups had been exchanging factors. The Warriors went on a 7-2 run to open up a 17-12 lead. Merrimack held the momentum and received the set 25-22. For set 4 the groups had been once more twisted up early at 10’s. Merrimack continued the theme of enjoying higher for longer durations of time. They jumped out to a 16-11 lead and by no means regarded again, profitable the set and match 25-20.
For the Warriors Whitaker got here up clutch in key moments, he completed the match with 18 kills, three blocks and two aces. Sophomore Reece Lindstrom ran an efficient offense and completed with 41 assists. Freshman Ephraim Abhulime recorded 10 kills out of the center and hit a scorching .615. “I believed it was an ideal match. It’s enjoyable to see such excessive caliber of volleyball being performed within the Northeast. Daemen is a strong staff, it was an ideal win for this system,” mentioned Coach Lewis.
The Wildcats had been led by Redshirt Junior Billy Wieberg who had 5 aces, eight digs and a match excessive 18 kills. Sophomore Bradyn Winters dished out 32 assists. Graduate scholar Zach Schneider and freshman Patick Mullen each contributed six kills. “Billy has really stepped right into a management function and elevated his sport to the subsequent stage. His dedication and dedication have been excellent, and we’re all excited to see him shine throughout convention play,” mentioned Coach Przybyl.
Daemen fell to 9-4 after the match and noticed their five-match profitable streak come to the top. “We knew from the beginning that dealing with Merrimack can be a tricky battle. I’ve immense respect for Coach Lewis and the unbelievable program he has constructed. We solely want they had been nonetheless within the NEC so we’d have the possibility to compete in opposition to them once more,” mentioned Coach Przybyl. The Wildcats look to get again to their profitable methods on Thursday, March twentieth in Fairfax, Virginia the place they are going to play host George Mason and end up the match in opposition to UC Irvine.
Merrimack earned win quantity seven on the season, and the next day beat Roberts Wesleyan to enhance to 8-4 on the season. The Warriors will hit the street to tackle St. Thomas Aquinas and Geroge Mason this upcoming weekend.
Daemen College:
Volleyball Historical past:
– Of their seventh season.
– A notable alumnus is Cameron Milligan, who’s enjoying skilled volleyball abroad in Denmark this 12 months and he’s the primary Daemen males’s volleyball alum to play professionally
– Daemen performs males’s volleyball within the Northeast Convention, which is in its third 12 months in 2025. The Wildcats are the reigning NEC Event Champions.
– Zach Schneider (graduate scholar outdoors hitter, #13) is enjoying his sixth 12 months for the Wildcats and has been an offensive staple for the Wildcats for his whole collegiate profession. He was the primary participant to earn the inaugural NEC Participant of the Yr award in 2023, Schneider is the Daemen file holder in nearly each offensive class (matches performed, units performed, kills, kills/set, assault makes an attempt, aces, aces/set, digs, solo blocks and factors) and has been named to the NEC First Staff All-Convention for the previous two seasons. He was the primary Daemen participant to be named AVCA All-America honorable point out (2023) and has helped the Wildcats to 2 wins over AVCA ranked groups (2023 vs. #12 CSUN, 2024 vs. #12 UCSB) together with quite a few cracks into the AVCA top-20 over the previous few seasons.
– Darek Przybyl is a first-year head coach for the Wildcats. He’s the second head coach in program historical past and took over within the 2024-25 faculty 12 months after Donald Gleason (2019-2024) left to take the pinnacle coach job at Purdue Fort Wayne. Previous to turning into the second head coach for Daemen, Przybyl was Gleason’s prime assistant.
Making an influence on the group:
- The Wildcats works intently with The Champion Undertaking which hosts camps, clinics, groups, colleges and group applications to make sports activities accessible to all children in Western New York.
Teachers:
- Daemen College is a small personal college situated in Amherst NY that provides 25 undergraduate majors and has an enrollment of round 2500 college students.
- A few of the prime majors are training, nursing, liberal arts, bodily remedy, enterprise, visible and performing arts.
Merrimack School:
Volleyball Historical past:
- Staff was established in 2023.
- First two years this system was a member of the Northeast Convention earlier than the establishment moved to the MAAC convention. Since MAAC doesn’t provide males’s volleyball Merrimack is likely one of the impartial males’s volleyball applications.
- Ray Lewis has spearheaded the boys’s volleyball program since its institution in 2023.
Making an influence on the group:
- Work with a youth group, Friday Night time Lights to supply clinics to youth in the neighborhood.
- Partnered with Merrimack School for Mack Give Again and Construct a Mattress to provide again to underserved communities.
- Accomplice with Staff Affect to supply a significant expertise for neurodiverse youth.
Teachers:
- Merrimack is a personal School situated in North Andover, Massachusetts.
- Merrimack affords over 160 undergraduate tutorial applications, with alternatives to main, minor, and double-major throughout disciplines.
Kevin Pratte has enthusiastically been concerned in volleyball for over 23 years. Pratte began enjoying in center faculty and was lucky sufficient to play NCAA Division 1 volleyball at The College of the Pacific. After his enjoying profession Pratte obtained concerned in teaching volleyball. In 2009 Pratte was the graduate assistant coach for the College of Nebraska ladies’s volleyball program. Later in his profession Pratte made teaching stops at College of the Pacific, a number of group faculties and coached at WAVE Volleyball Membership for seven years. Presently Pratte is a bodily training trainer within the San Diego Unified College District, San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary member, a university volleyball recruiting coordinator, hosts a volleyball podcast present, the proprietor of the Center Hitter web site and runs a non-profit group to assist elevate funds to provide boys’ highschool volleyball college students scholarships to play membership volleyball. He’s excited to proceed writing for Volleyball Journal and is raring to cowl the sport.
Basis web site: www.kevinprattefoundation.com
Center Hitter Web site: www.middlehitter.com
KP HERE Podcast: Spotify