Wilmington, N.C. -- Freshman Haley Tippett led all players with 11 kills as Stetson opened the UNCW Courtyard by Marriott Volleyball Classic with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-18) victory over previously unbeaten Maryland-Eastern Shore Friday night at Hanover Hall.
The Hatters (4-6) hit a season-high .286 en route to their third win in their last four matches. The Hawks (10-1) were held to just a .066 attack percentage while suffering their first loss of the season.
Stetson hit better than .200 in each set, posting set-by-set totals of .290, .235, and .333. The Hatters also committed a season-low 11 attack errors.
"I think it is the best I have seen us play consistently throughout an entire match this year," Stetson head coach Kristina Hernandez said. "We hit at a really high efficiency, our defense and blocking were good, and I thought we did a good job of limiting our errors. We were much more in control of what we were doing today, and it definitely paid off."
Stetson had several players hit for a high percentage, including Madison Fitzsimmons (.412), McKenna Foster (.400), and Tippett (.375).
The Hatters also produced a strong game at the net, registering eight blocks as a team. Shelby Connors led the way with five blocks, including a potential game-changing solo block with the score tied at 23 late in the first set.
Alexa Drost led the defense with 14 digs, while setters Kayla Weller (22 assists) and Roxy Lake (14 assists) helped run the offense.
Stetson will play twice on Saturday, beginning with a 10 a.m. contest vs. Presbyterian. The Hatters will then face tournament host UNCW at 7:30 p.m.
Game Notes
UMES entered the match as just one of 10 undefeated teams in the nation ... The Hawks first 10 matches all came at home ... It was the first ever meeting between Stetson and UMES ... UMES also entered the match leading the nation in aces-per-set, but the Hatters held a 7-5 ace advantage for the match ... The Hatters improved to 4-1 when winning the opening set.
Double Figure Kills
Haley Tippett reached double figures in kills for the fourth match in a row and for the seventh time in 10 games this season.
Connors on a Roll
With five blocks on Friday, Connors has now collected 15 blocks in her last three matches. She is tied for sixth in the A-Sun with 31 blocks on the season.
