Beach Volleyball April 03, 2018 Athletic Communications

Hatters Host FGCU in Battle For First

Both teams enter 4-0 in ASUN play

DeLand, Fla. -- In a battle for first place in the ASUN Conference, the Stetson Hatters (18-6, 4-0) will host the FGCU Eagles (9-6, 4-0) Wednesday afternoon for a double dual beginning at 2 p.m.

Admission is free to the Cooper Beach Courts, located at 418 E. Minnesota Ave.

Wednesday will be a rematch of last year's ASUN Championship match when Stetson defeated FGCU 3-1 in the final.

Live scoring will be available on StetsonStats.com. Follow @StetsonBeach on Twitter and Periscope for live look-ins and the latest results.

Series History
The Hatters are 16-2 all-time vs. the Eagles including a streak of 15 straight wins.

Lofty ASUN Record
The Hatters are 40-6 all-time in ASUN regular season play, including 4-0 this season. Stetson has won 16 straight ASUN regular season matches and is 31-1 in its last 32 ASUN regular season matches. The Hatters have won at least a share of the ASUN regular season championship in each the past three seasons.

National Rankings
The Hatters are currently ranked 17th in the nation in this week's AVCA Beach Poll. It is the 32nd consecutive week the Hatters have been ranked in the AVCA Poll, dating back to the 2015 season. Stetson is also ranked 15th in the DiG Magazine Collegiate Beach Poll. FGCU is receiving votes in both polls.

Hatters on a Roll
The Hatters have won seven straight and 15 of their last 16 matches and have outscored their opponents 68-12 in duals during that stretch. Stetson leads the ASUN with 18 victories on the season.

20 Wins
The Hatters are looking to become just the third team in the NCAA with 20 dual match wins this season. UCLA (24) and Hawaii (23) currently lead the way.

vs. Unranked Opponents
Stetson is 16-0 against unranked opponents this season and has won 32 straight matches against unranked opponents dating back to last year.

All-Time Record
Stetson Beach is in its eighth season of competition and the Hatters hold an all-time record of 128-59 (.681).

Success at the Top Seeds
This season, the Hatters are 53-15 at the top three seeds combined, including 21-3 at the 2 seed.

Success at the Bottom Seeds
The 4 and 5 seeds are 27-5 combined in the past 16 matches.

Team Leaders
With a 20-4 record, Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales lead the team and the ASUN in dual match victories. They are 11-4 at the 1 seed and 9-0 at the 2 seed. Sammee Thomas and Darby Dunn rank second in the ASUN in dual wins (19-5), while Samantha Harris and Rachel Noble rank third (18-6).

60 Wins for Noble
Rachel Noble now ranks third in school history with 60 career dual match victories. She trails only Kristin Lind (88) and Kaylee Anderson (77) on the program's all-time victory list.

Quick Turnaround
Stetson will travel to Arizona Thursday for the Wildcat Spring Challenge. The Hatters will face Colorado Mesa, #15 Arizona, and #14 California on Friday in Tucson. On Saturday, Stetson will battle Vanguard and Arizona State in Tempe.

Pairs of the Week
On April 3, Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales were named ASUN Pair of the Week after posting a 4-0 mark against Mercer and Coastal Carolina. On March 20, Quinci Birker and Rebecca Ingram were named ASUN Pair of the Week after going 4-0 at the Hickory Point Lake Bash. On Feb. 27, Thomas and Dunn earned ASUN Pair of the Week honors after going 3-1 at the Stetson Spring Fling.

Follow the Hatters
For complete coverage of Stetson Beach Volleyball, follow the Hatters on Twitter (@StetsonBeach), Instagram (@StetsonBeachVB) and Facebook (StetsonBeach), and sign up for the HatCheck text messaging system.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

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