DeLand, Fla. ? The Stetson volleyball team (2-10, 0-5 Atlantic Sun) took the first set off visiting ETSU (5-8, 2-4 A-Sun) Friday evening at the Edmunds Center but could not build on its momentum and lost in four sets to the Lady Bucs. Set scores were 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-20. Junior Anna Becker (McLean, Ill.) registered a career-high 14 digs for the Hatters.
Stetson took advantage of ETSU attack errors to build a 5-0 lead in the first set, holding that lead until the Lady Bucs tied the score at 17 and eventually went ahead 19-17. The Hatters would not wilt, however, taking their last lead on a service ace from senior libero Melanie Boyer (New Holland, Ill.) to go ahead 21-20. The Hatters closed the set on a 5-2 run and got a kill from junior middle blocker Laura Boyd (La Crescenta, Calif.) to finish it out.
The early success would not last for Stetson, unfortunately, as ETSU held off the Hatters in three consecutive sets to claim the conference victory. Stetson never led in any of the last three sets after two points had been scored.
Becker and her former junior college teammate Boyer each finished with 14 digs while senior outside hitter Rebecca Orzechowicz (Miami, Fla.) topped the squad with 12 kills. She is now just five kills shy of becoming the ninth player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills. Sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Canfield (Panama City, Fla.) notched eight kills and hit a team-high .250. Freshman setter Jennica Hagberg (Niceville, Fla.) handed out 32 assists. Orzechowicz and freshman middle blocker Sam Freeman (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) tallied five block assists apiece.
Erin Ryan led ETSU with 13 kills while Whitney Cogburn (39 assists, nine digs) narrowly missed a double-double. Jen Neice led all players in the match with 15 digs.
The Hatters are back in action tomorrow afternoon at the Edmunds Center against USC Upstate as they look for their first conference win of the season and Orzechowicz goes in search of her 1,000th career kill. The match begins at 3 p.m. with live stats and Bill Topping's Hatter Vision webcast both available at www.GoHatters.com, the official online home of Stetson Athletics.
