Volleyball August 30, 2018 Athletic Communications

Hatters Look to Build on Their Hot Start

MTSU BLUE RAIDER BASH
FRIDAY | 5 p.m. ET vs. Troy (2-1)
SATURDAY | 11 a.m. ET vs. Austin Peay (3-0), 8 p.m. ET vs. MTSU (1-2)
LOCATION | Alumni Memorial Gym, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
LIVE VIDEO | vs. MTSU only, CUSA.TV ($)
LIVE STATS | GoBlueRaiders.com/sidearmstats/wvball/
TWITTER | @StetsonVB
TEXT ALERTS | HatCheck
PDF NOTES | Stetson

Fresh off a season-opening sweep at the FIU Kickoff, the Stetson Hatters will travel to the MTSU Blue Raider Bash this weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Stetson is 3-0 for the first time since 1996, and a win over Troy on Friday would give the program its first 4-0 start in school history.

"I think the girls are excited of course for the great first weekend," Stetson head coach Yang Deng said. "They built a lot of confidence, but I told them (Monday) that last weekend is history and we have to start like we are 0-0. Our goal is not only just winning, we want to continue to improve and be the best we can be."

The Hatters hit .245 as a team last weekend, including .373 in the final three sets against FIU on Saturday. Eva Deisa led the way with 53 kills, while Brianna Schmid had 21 kills and Riley Nieporte notched 20. Anna Bezhan added 17 kills and hit .353 off the bench.

"Our outsides - Eva, Anna and Riley - did really well last weekend," senior Charlotte Earnhart said. "Any team that looks at the stats is going to be focusing on our outsides, so we need to incorporate our middles and back row as well. If we do that, it will be good."

Stetson also had a strong weekend defensively, averaging 16.75 digs-per-set, second-most in the ASUN. Libero Chelcie Spence earned ASUN Defensive Player of the Week after recording 58 digs over three matches.

The Hatters also excelled from the serving line, registering 25 aces, good for 17th overall in the NCAA. Hao Jin leads the team and ranks second in the ASUN with eight aces.

"Our serving has been very strong, but I think we can continue to get better," Deng said. "Every one of our girls is a good server. There is no weak link. We haven't even had a chance to use everyone's strength yet. That is a really good tool for us as a team."

Stetson will square off against Troy (2-1) in the first match of the tournament at 5 p.m. ET Friday. On Saturday, the Hatters will meet Austin Peay (3-0) at 11 a.m. ET and MTSU (1-2) at 8 p.m. ET. Live stats for all matches will be available on GoBlueRaiders.com. Stetson's contest vs. MTSU will be streamed on a subscription basis on CUSA.TV.

"The competition only gets tougher," Deng said. "We want to prepare for conference. We need to keep working hard and push forward."

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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Players Mentioned

#7 Anna Bezhan: OH; 5' 10"; Senior

#23 Eva Deisa: OH; 5' 10"; Junior

#10 Charlotte Earnhart: OH/RS; 5' 10"; Senior

#22 Hao Jin: MB; 6' 2"; Senior

#8 Riley Nieporte: OH; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#2 Brianna Schmid: MB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#6 Chelcie Spence: DS; 5' 2"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#7 Anna Bezhan
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH

#23 Eva Deisa
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OH

#10 Charlotte Earnhart
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH/RS

#22 Hao Jin
: 6' 2"; Senior
: MB

#8 Riley Nieporte
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: OH

#2 Brianna Schmid
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: MB

#6 Chelcie Spence
: 5' 2"; Sophomore
: DS

Stetson University Athletics

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Hatters Look to Build on Their Hot Start

Players Mentioned

#7 Anna Bezhan

#23 Eva Deisa

#10 Charlotte Earnhart

#22 Hao Jin

#8 Riley Nieporte

#2 Brianna Schmid

#6 Chelcie Spence

Players Mentioned

#7 Anna Bezhan

#23 Eva Deisa

#10 Charlotte Earnhart

#22 Hao Jin

#8 Riley Nieporte

#2 Brianna Schmid

#6 Chelcie Spence