AMHERST, N.Y. — D'Youville University (4-9, 1-2 ECC) turned in a gritty performance on Wednesday evening but came up short in a four-set road battle against cross-town rival Daemen (6-8, 2-1 ECC) at Lumsden Gymnasium. The Saints fell by scores of 25-13, 25-23, 15-25, and 25-21 despite a dominant third set and several standout individual efforts.
The Saints were led by junior outside hitter Cameron Ulinski, who posted a match-high 13 kills to go along with 11 digs, three service aces, and two blocks for a complete all-around effort. Setter Alina Bertens Deckart guided the offense with 31 assists while adding four kills of her own, and middle blocker Giselle Ramirez chipped in six kills and two blocks. Defensively, libero Angelyn Jaramillo anchored the back row with a team-high 17 digs, while Anna Chechelnytska contributed seven kills and five digs in three sets of action.
After a tough opening set where Daemen capitalized on D'Youville errors, the Saints nearly turned the tide in set two. Ulinski fueled the offense with timely swings, and Bertens Deckart spread the ball effectively, helping D'Youville fight back from an early deficit to pull within two late. Kills from Gabrielle Dials and Maddie Boglev kept the Saints in striking distance before Daemen narrowly escaped with a 25-23 win.
D'Youville responded in commanding fashion in the third frame. The Saints controlled play from the opening serve, forcing Daemen into 12 attack errors and limiting the Wildcats to a -.065 hitting percentage. Ulinski and Ramirez provided steady offense, while Chechelnytska and Dials teamed up for five blocks at the net. The set closed on a highlight moment when Chechelnytska stuffed Daemen's Molly Ryan to seal a convincing 25-15 victory.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle featuring six ties and multiple momentum swings. Ulinski and Ramirez each landed key kills, and Jaramillo kept rallies alive with several clutch digs to keep the Saints within striking distance. A late push from Daemen, capped by a pair of blocks and a kill from Payton Gaylor, ultimately put the set away 25-21 and secured the match for the Wildcats.
As a team, D'Youville finished with 41 kills, 35 assists, 54 digs, and seven blocks, highlighting their ability to compete toe-to-toe with one of the ECC's top defensive units.
The Saints will look to build on the energy from their third-set win as they return to Saints Center Gym this weekend for another matchup to get back to the W column.
