BUFFALO, N.Y. — Daemen (8-11, 4-2 ECC) defeated D'Youville (5-13, 2-5 ECC) in a four-set match at Saints Center Gym on Wednesday night, with set scores of 31-33, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15. D'Youville captured the first set in a tight 33-31 battle but was unable to maintain momentum in the subsequent sets.

The first set began with D'Youville and Daemen exchanging early points, marked by service errors from both teams. Maddie Boglev and Gabrielle Dials contributed key kills to keep the Saints competitive, despite trailing at various points. They found momentum with a 7-3 run, featuring a service ace by Madison Bradshaw and a pivotal kill by Madeline O'Brien, leveling the score at 18-18.

In a tense back-and-forth conclusion, D'Youville stayed resilient, with Cameron Ulinski and O'Brien delivering critical kills. The set remained tightly contested into extra points, but the Saints ultimately secured the set with a 33-31 victory, highlighted by O'Brien's decisive final two kills.

D'Youville made an impactful start in the second set, gaining an early lead with kills from Ulinski and O'Brien. Despite their strong start, Daemen managed a comeback, tying the score at 8-8 and then pulling ahead with a series of points, including crucial kills from Keira Mullen and Nahirka Malpica. The Saints rallied with key kills from Giselle Ramirez and service aces by Ulinski, briefly regaining the lead at 20-17. However, Daemen responded with a late surge, capitalizing on attack errors from D'Youville to clinch the set 25-23.

The Saints started the third set strongly with a 3-0 run, highlighted by a kill from Dials and a service ace by Alina Bertens Deckart. Despite this early momentum, Daemen responded with a series of successful plays, including multiple kills by Mullen, leveling the score and taking a brief lead.

D'Youville kept the contest tight with impactful kills from O'Brien and Ramirez, maintaining a narrow margin against Daemen's advances. As the set progressed, Daemen gained control, capitalizing on service aces and attack errors from the Saints to eventually secure a 25-20 victory in the third set. The game concluded with Daemen's win, finalizing the score at 25-20.

The Saints began the fourth set with a challenging start, falling behind as Daemen quickly established a 4-0 lead. Despite this, D'Youville responded with a pair of kills by O'Brien, narrowing the gap to 7-4. A brief rally saw the Saints capitalize on a series of attack errors by Daemen, bringing the score to 11-7, but Daemen maintained their lead with consistent offensive pressure.

O'Brien and Ramirez continued to contribute with timely kills, but Daemen's offense, led by Mullen and Malpica, extended their advantage. Despite efforts from players like Boglev, the Saints could not close the deficit as Daemen secured the set with a final score of 25-15. The match concluded with Daemen's victory.