ELMIRA, N.Y. -- For the second and third times this season, the Elmira College men's volleyball team challenged Daemen College, with the Wildcats coming out on top in both matches on Sunday afternoon by identical 3-0 scores.

As a member of the NCAA's National Collegiate division with all Division I and II men's volleyball programs from across the country, Daemen remained unbeaten at 6-0 following the Sunday sweep. Still looking for its first win, Elmira dropped to 0-8.

Daemen 3, Elmira 0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-17)
The visiting Wildcats rolled to a 2-0 lead in the first match while hitting .583 in the first set and .474 in the second. However, Elmira's best performance came in the third set, resulting in the match's closet score at 25-17.

EC recovered from an early 3-0 deficit in the third by winning four of the following five points. That included kills from Jordan Peiser '24 and Eric Jackson '23, as the Soaring Eagles tied the set at 4-4. Jackson then floored back-to-back kills to put EC ahead by one, 6-5. Matt Amoddio '22 was applauded by his teammates for the hustle he showed on the sixth point. After tossing up the serve, Amoddio dug out two Daemen attack attempts, laying out for the latter to set up a perfect pass from setter Oscar Muñoz Trinidad '23 to Jackson on the left side of the formation.

The back-and-forth set remained tied up until 11-11, and despite staying within two points of the Wildcats throughout the next few rallies, Daemen never relinquish the lead in the deciding set after jumping ahead 12-11.

Daemen 3, Elmira 0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-16)
The Purple and Gold improved dramatically at the service line in the second match, committing five fewer service errors while recording five aces. Defensively, Elmira held the Wildcats to a much lower attack percentage in the nightcap (.292). However, the results were much of the same, as Daemen swept EC in three sets.

The Soaring Eagles gave Daemen a run for its money in the middle set. Early on, Ryan Mattes '23 and Jackson combined for three straight kills to provide Elmira with a 4-2 advantage. Following a well-executed dump by Muñoz Trinidad and an Amoddio ace, EC extended its lead to three at 9-6.

Elmira broke a 13-all tie when a zero block was returned to the EC side of the court, and Jackson hit the ball off two blockers at the net. Trailing 19-17 later in the second, Amoddio logged a kill at the net before hitting an ace to knot the set at 19-19. Alas, the Wildcats closed the set by winning six of the final eight points.

News and Notes

• In the two matches combined, Daemen outhit Elmira, .377-to-.021.
• Jackson and Peiser lead the Soaring Eagles with 14 and 12 kills, respectively.
• Jackson had a team-high three aces on the afternoon, all of which were earned in the first match.
• Muñoz Trinidad (2) and Amoddio (2) each had multiple aces, too.
• Handling EC's setting duties was Muñoz Trinidad, who produced 33 assists to go along with five kills.
• Amoddio logged a team-leading four blocks, including one solo rejection.
• Alex Nuez '22 was the only Soaring Eagle to finish the doubleheader with double-digit digs (10).

Up Next
The 2021 United Volleyball Conference (UVC) schedule resumes on Sunday, March 21, when the Soaring Eagles travel to Poughkeepsie, New York, for two matches against Vassar College. The first league contest begins at 2:00 p.m.