Box Score AMHERST, N.Y. – The Sacred Heart University men's volleyball team fell to Daemen University Saturday evening 3-1 in its 2024 regular-season finale.
 
Records:
Sacred Heart: 11-18, 3-8 NEC
Daemen: 17-6, 8-3 NEC
 
Top Performers:
Patrick Mucherino: 18 kills (.268), 1 block, 8 digs, 18.5 points
Carlos Santa Cruz: 10 kills (.308), 1 block, 3 digs, 10.5 points
Teddy Payne: 37 assists, 2 digs, 1 kill
 
How It Happened:
The first set saw early back-and-forth play until the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run to take the 22-15 lead. The Pioneers were unable to battle back, falling 25-18.
 
The second set saw more balanced play but the Wildcats hitting made the difference, as they won 25-20.
 
The Pioneers made some adjustments in the third to slow down the Wildcats' hitting. The Pioneers secured four blocks and outhit Daemen .292 to .208. SHU secured the win with a kill from Carlos Santa Cruz, 25-20.
 
The Pioneers were unable to come back from an early Wildcat lead in the fourth, falling 25-14.
 
Patrick Mucherino led the Pioneer offense with 18 kills. Mucherino also finished two digs shy of a double-double with a team-best eight. At setter, Teddy Payne assisted on 37 of SHU's 42 kills. 
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers will kick off the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship with a first round matchup against No. 3 LIU on Wednesday, April 17^th, at 4 p.m. at Saint Francis University.