Stetson University Athletics

Beach (242-115/ 12th Season):

A seven-time ASUN Conference champion, a four-time ASUN Coach of the Year, and the third winningest beach volleyball coach in NCAA history, Kristina Hernandez is in her 12th season as head coach at Stetson University.

2024 the Hatters earned a 22-12 overall record and they advanced to the finals of the ASUN Tournament. The pair of Shae Henson and Tori Clement earned ASUN First Team and ASUN All Tournament honors, while being named ASUN Pair of the Week two times during the 2024 season. Klea Sirois was named to the All Academic ASUN team.

In 2023, Hernandez earned her 200th win and earn 3 more victories against top 20 opponents. Stetson would go on to be the No. 1 seed in the ASUN Championship and earn their seventh all time championship. The Hatters would advance to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time and for the second time in as many seasons. They earned the 15th seed overall and would end up with a No. 16 ranking in the final AVCA Poll. Karin Zolnercikova and Shae Henson earned All-America honors and ASUN First Team All Conference honors. Carolina Ferraris and Anete Namike claimed another AVCA Top Flight Award as well as ASUN Pair of the Year and ASUN First Team All Conference honors. Tori Clement appeared on the ASUN All-Freshmen team and Aleksandra Stadnik and Lauren Della earned the ASUN Pair of the Tournament.

The 2022 saw the Hatters compile 23 victories including 2 against top 20 opponents. Stetson once again earned the No. 1 seed in the ASUN Championship. The Hatters would go on to win their sixth ASUN Championship and advance to the NCAA tournament for the 3rd time earning the No. 14 seed. Stetson's season would end as they would fall to UCLA and sit 14th in the final ACVCA Poll. Shae Henson and Kylie Neuschaeferova would claim All-America honors. Carolina Ferraris and Anete Namike would earn AVCA Top Flight Award. Kylie Neuschaeferova claimed ASUN Freshmen of the Year honors as well as First Team All Conference with partner Shae Henson. Carolina Ferraris and Anete Namike would also earn ASUN First Team All Conference.

In 2021, Stetson compiled seven victories against Top 20 opponents and earned the No. 1 seed for the ASUN Championship.  Ana Costa and Carly Perales were named ASUN Pair of the Year and won a record four ASUN Pair of the Week awards.

A shortened 2020 season saw the Hatters ranked as high as No. 7 in the AVCA Coaches poll.  The Hatters won five matches against ranked opponents and saw Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales earn AVCA National Pair of the Week honors for the second straight season.

In 2019, Hernandez guided the Hatters to their their second-straight 30-win season and a second trip to the NCAA Beach Volleyballl Championship.  In Gulf Shores, the Hatters made history, becoming the first 8 seed to ever win a dual, upsetting No. 1 seed and two-time national champion USC 3-1 in the first round.  The Hatters then nearly upset No. 5 LSU before falling to the Tigers (3-2) and Hawai'i (3-0).  However, it was Stetson's first-ever win in the NCAA Championship and first-ever win against a top-ranked opponent.  The Hatters started the year ranked 17th in the AVCA poll and finished tied for their best-ever mark at No. 6.

Hernandez also led Stetson to its third-straight ASUN Championship and fifth straight ASUN regular season championship.  She earned her fourth ASUN Coach of the Year award.  Darby Dunn and Sammee Thomas were named ASUN Pair of the Year and Pair of the Tournament, and Rachel Noble earned ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.  Helland-Hansen and Perales were named AVCA All-America honorable mention.

In 2018, the Hatters continued their dominance in ASUN play, winning their fourth straight regular season championship and second straight tournament championship.  The team's 30 wins set a new single-season record and ranked as the fourth-highest total in the nation.  Stetson went 28-0 against unranked opponents and finished 16th in the AVCA poll.

Hernandez earned her third ASUN Coach of the Year honor.  In addition, Darby Dunn and Sammee Thomas were named ASUN Pair of the Year, Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales were named ASUN Pair of the Tournament, and Rachel Noble earned ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

The 2017 season saw the Hatters win their third ASUN Championship in the past four seasons.  Stetson went 20-13 overall and a perfect 10-0 in conference play to win the ASUN regular season title for the third year in a row.  Stetson was ranked in the AVCA poll all season long finishing with a No. 15 national ranking.

Hernandez was honored as ASUN Coach of the Year for the second time in her career.  She also saw Kristin Lind and Darby Dunn earn ASUN Pair of the Year honors, Sunniva Helland-Hansen earn ASUN Freshman of the Year honors, and Lind earn ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for the third straight year.

In 2016, Hernandez guided the Hatters to a 28-9 record and an at-large berth in the inaugural NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship.  Stetson was the No.8 seed for the tournament and took No. 4 seed UCLA to the wire before falling 3-2.  

Stetson was ranked in the top 10 all year, finishing with a No. 8 ranking in the AVCA and DiG Magazine polls.  The Hatters 28 dual match victories set a school record and the team's 11-match winning streak tied a school record.  Stetson earned a share of the Atlantic Sun regular season championship and competed against 15 top 20 schools.  Vendy Strakova and Sara Putt were named AVCA All-Americans, Atlantic Sun Pair of the Year, A-Sun all-tournament team, and three-time A-Sun Pair of the Week. Kristin Lind earned A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors for the second year in a row.

Hernandez tremendous work with the beach volleyball program in 2015 earned her Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors.  The Hatters won a school-record 22 games, including 11 in a row at one point.  Stetson went a perfect 8-0 in A-Sun competition to win the regular season conference title, and then the Hatters won their second straight Atlantic Sun Conference championship to advance to the AVCA national tournament for the second year in a row.  Stetson finished the season ranked sixth nationally in both the AVCA and DiG Magazine polls.

Hernandez tutored A-Sun Pair of the Year and Pair of the Tournament Kaley Melville and Julie Bassett, as well as First Team All-Conference pairing of Maren Rygh and Kristin Lind.  Lind was also named A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

In her inaugural season as beach head coach in 2014, Hernandez guided the Hatters to an 18-win season, the program's first Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, and an appearance in the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championship.  Two pairs were named first-team all-conference, three Hatters earned all-freshman team honors, and three pairs earned A-Sun Pair of the Week accolades.

In three seasons as the head coach of the Stetson indoor team, Hernandez guided the Hatters to 31 overall victories and back-to-back appearances in the ASUN quarterfinals.  The Hatters were 16-13 in 2014 and earned a third-place finish in the ASUN standings.  Stetson started the season 5-1 for the first time in program history and also won five matches in a row from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17.  

Hernandez came to Stetson from Hofstra University, where she won 93 matches in six seasons with the Pride, leading them to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. That season her team posted 21 wins, its most since 2006, and captured the Colonial Athletic Association title.  Hernandez also led Hofstra to the CAA semifinals in 2008 and 2013.  

While in West Hempstead, Hernandez guided a dozen of her players to all-conference honors and saw more than 30 earn academic awards from the conference.  In 2012, outside hitter Kelsie Wills earned AVCA National Player of the Week honors.  In 2009, Hernandez was selected to the AVCA's Thirty Under 30 list that recognizes up-and-coming coaches under the age of 30.

Before her arrival at Hofstra, Hernandez led the Loyola University Maryland volleyball program for four seasons. As head coach of the Greyhounds, she compiled 49 victories, doubling her team’s win total her very first season and giving them their first 20-win season in a quarter century.  During the 2007 campaign, Loyola appeared in the conference semifinals and finished in the top three in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time since 1997.

While at Loyola, Hernandez had one of her student-athletes named MAAC Setter of the Year, one named MAAC Rookie of the Year, and three earn post-season all-conference honors.

The McAllen, Texas native played collegiately at North Carolina A&T, where she was a setter and named the team’s rookie of the year her freshman season. Hernandez earned all-conference honors in three of her four years with the Aggies.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2003 with a degree in Physical Education and a minor in Biology.

Following her collegiate career, Hernandez became a volunteer assistant with St. Mary’s (Calif.), before accepting her first full-time head coaching position.

Hernandez also brings a wealth of USA Volleyball coaching experience with her to DeLand, as she has served in a number of different capacities with the organization during the past seven years.  In 2007 she was the lead coach with the high performance tryout camp as well as head of the Youth National A2 Team.  In 2008 and 2012 she served as an assistant coach the USA Youth A2 program.  In 2009 she was an assistant with the USA Volleyball Women’s Junior A2 squad.  In 2010 she served as the head coach for the Women's Junior Continental Team.  In 2013 and 2014 she served as an associate head coach of the Select A2 program.

Hernandez has USA Beach Impact and USA BCAP II certification.  She is also a USA Beach CAP Cadre member and a member of the AVCA beach volleyball head coaches committee.

In 2003 Hernandez interned with USA Volleyball in Colorado Springs, Colo. with its beach volleyball, disabled, grassroots and education programs.

Hernandez is married to Jonathan Adams and they have a daughter, Paloma, and a son, Sawyer.
 

Kristina Hernandez Year-By-Year Summary