Wilmington, N.C. -- Backed by dominating opening and closing sets, Stetson rolled to a 3-1 (25-9, 25-23, 19-25, 25-12) victory over Presbyterian College (2-10) Saturday morning at the UNCW Courtyard by Marriott Volleyball Classic.
The Hatters (5-6) have won three straight matches and four out of five heading into Saturday night's contest with UNCW.
Stetson hit .462 in the opening set, connecting on 14 kills on 26 attempts while committing just two errors. After leading just 9-8 early in the set, the Hatters finished the frame on a 16-1 run.
After splitting the second and third sets, the Hatters once again dominated in the fourth, posting a .371 attack percentage. Stetson hit .233 overall for the match.
Madison Akins produced 12 kills, five blocks and a .370 attack percentage to lead the Hatters. Haley Tippett added 12 kills and nine digs.
Kayla Weller dished out 25 assists to move into third place on Stetson's all-time career assists list. The senior setter now has 3,152 assists and needs 13 more to move into second place.
Stetson produced another strong blocking performance, collecting 10 blocks as a team. Akins and Madison Fitzsimmons each recorded five blocks while Shelby Connors chipped in four.
Alexa Drost led the defense with 13 digs.
Stetson will go for its fourth win a row and the Courtyard by Marriott tournament championship at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night against tournament host UNCW. Follow live video at UNCWSports.com.
Assist Leaders
After passing Tina Voss (3,146 assists), Kayla Weller (3,152) now trails Amanda Lang (3,165) and Tanya Roe (3,332) on Stetson's all-time assists list.
Finishing in Four
It was Stetson's first 3-1 match score this season. The previous 10 matches were either decided in three sets or five sets.
Serving Line
The Hatters produced another strong game at the serving line, tallying nine aces. Alexa Drost led the way with three aces. However, Stetson also committed nine service errors.
Strong Fourth Set
Madison Fitzsimmons hit .714 (5-0-7) and collected three blocks in the fourth set. Madison Akins and Haley Tippett each added four kills in the fourth set.
