Returning to the court for the first time in two weeks, the D'Youville men's volleyball team was swept, 3-0, by crosstown foe Daemen Monday night inside Lumsden Gymnasium.

Dropping the three sets by 25-11, 25-12 and 25-21 scores, the Saints shifted to 1-3 on the season, while the host Wildcats remained unbeaten at 7-0.

Jake Couzens of Daemen and D'Youville freshman outside hitter Joshua Roy were the powers behind their respective offenses, as Couzens racked up a match-high nine kills and Roy paced the Saints with eight kills. Couzens was aided by Matthew Garry, who tallied eight kills and a match-high eight digs.

Daemen took the first four points of the opening set, eventually taking a 9-2 lead. The Saints pushed back, but the Wildcats used their second 5-0 run of the frame to grab a 17-6 advantage before D'Youville could stop the surge off a Roy kill. Another four-point spurt from the hosts put the set even further out of reach, eventually giving Daemen the first set, 25-11.

The second set started off similar to the first, as the Wildcats raced out to a 12-3. The two squads then traded points three times thanks to three kills off the hand of Roy, before a 3-0 lead from the Saints cut the deficit to 15-9. The run would not hold, as Daemen closed the frame with a 10-3 stretch to pick up its second-straight set, 25-12.

With their backs to the wall, the Saints countered the Wildcats by trading the lead five times before D'Youville rallied for a 6-2 run, including three kills by junior Joshua Hoy, and take a 15-12 edge. Daemen responded by taking six of the next seven points to recapture the lead, with the teams trading points again until the Wildcats managed a 3-0 run to finish off the set, 25-21.

Notables – Joshua Roy led the Saints in kills for the fourth time this season … Senior libero Mitch Mason was the Saints' top defensive player, tallying four digs, while sophomore outside hitter Dan Busha had the team's lone block … Junior setter Anthony Dean had the only D'Youville ace of the night in addition to his 16 assists … Freshman right-side hitter Davi Soares had his first-career multi-kill match, recording three kills in the loss.

Up Next – The Saints will return to action on Saturday, March 27.