After Sizzling Start, Hatters Set to Begin Conference Play

STETSON (8-4) vs. JACKSONVILLE (1-11)
WHEN | 7 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE | Edmunds Center, DeLand, Fla.
TICKETS | GoHatters.com/tix
LIVE VIDEO | ESPN3
LIVE STATS | GoHatters.com/stats
TWITTER | @StetsonVB
TEXT ALERTS | HatCheck
PDF NOTES | Stetson (PDF)

It's been an amazing start to the season for the Stetson volleyball team. At 8-4, the Hatters are off to their best start in 22 years. If you have heard some buzz about the program but haven't got all the details, GoHatters.com is here to bring you up to speed.

So as the Hatters get set to host Jacksonville Tuesday night for the start of conference play, let's look back at some of Stetson's successes through the first four weeks of the season.

The FIU Kickoff
The Hatters set the tone for a turnaround season from the very first match against Tennessee State. Eva Deisa registered 21 kills and the Hatters rallied from 23-21 down in the fourth set to win the match 3-1. Rebecca Ingram capped a lengthy 45-second rally with the game-winning kill.

That win plus another 3-0 win over Florida A&M was only a precursor to Stetson's dramatic 3-2 victory over tournament host FIU. The Hatters found themselves trailing the Panthers 2-0 at the break, but the team started clicking during a dominant 25-12 third set win. Stetson rode that momentum into a five-set victory, rallying from an 0-2 deficit for the first time in 79 tries.

"The team, the fight, the discipline, everything we talked about, they put it on the court," head coach Yang Deng said after the match. "What a great confidence boost after being down two to come back and win three big. That was a great job. I am very, very proud of them."

Accomplishments:

First 3-0 start since 1996
First tournament win since 2014
Most wins in August all-time
Chelcie Spence named ASUN Defensive Player of the Week

MTSU Blue Raider Bash
The Hatters experienced their first taste of adversity in Murfreesboro, losing both a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to Troy and a pair of starters to injury. The following day, after battling with defending OVC champ Austin Peay for three close sets, the Hatters got back in the win column with a 3-1 victory over MTSU.

"After the last two matches, I told the girls we could have just folded (against MTSU)," Deng said. "We could have thought about what's happened to us in the past. Instead, there was so much energy and everyone went in prepared. We had a really good finish, and I told them how proud I am about the way we responded."

Accomplishments:

Posted a .344 attack pct. vs. MTSU, the team's best match total since 2015
Surpassed 2017 win total in just six matches

SFA Invitational
The Hatters opened the weekend in Texas against a 7-1 St. John's team. The match went into a fifth set where the Red Storm took a seemingly commanding 11-6 lead. The Hatters weren't done however, and a furious rally down the stretch gave Stetson a thrilling 15-13 victory. Naina Ivanova led the charge with two blocks (one solo) and a beautiful back set to Hao Jin at the right pin for the game-winner.

"That set was perfect and made a statement for the game," Deng said.

Stetson went on to defeat Grambling State 3-1 before falling to Stephen F. Austin by the same score.

Accomplishments:

Biggest fifth set comeback since 2013 (vs. UNF)
Eight straight matches with .200+ attack pct. for first time since 2001
Jin named ASUN Player of the Week, Stetson's first POW since 2015

Stetson Invitational
After three weeks on the road the Hatters finally returned home this past weekend for the Stetson Invitational. After falling to Brown in four sets on Friday, the Hatters went to work on Saturday, playing over 4.5 hours and earning a pair of five-set victories against Chicago State and Bethune-Cookman. Stetson recorded a eye-popping 200 digs on the day, including a school-record 114 digs against Chicago State. Deisa also broke a school record with 35 digs against the Cougars.

It was the first time in 30 years that Stetson won two five-setters on the same day.

"I think it was a great team effort," Stetson head coach Yang Deng said. "It also showed that our team is learning how to come back in tough sets. Physically and mentally, for winning two five-setters, it was a really good job (by everyone)."

Accomplishments:

Team school-record 114 digs vs. Chicago State
Individual school-record 35 digs by Deisa vs. Chicago State
First pair of 3-2 wins on the same day since 1988
Stetson takes over ASUN statistical lead in blocks (2.49 bps) and digs (16.6 dps).
Deisa named ASUN Defensive Player of the Week
First 8-4 start since 1996

The Hatters will begin ASUN play with the second highest winning pct. in the ASUN, trailing only defending champion Kennesaw State. Stetson will look to stay hot as it hosts Jacksonville at 7 p.m. Tuesday night. Tickets are just $5 and can be purchased online or at the Edmunds Center Ticket Office.

The match will also be broadcast live on ESPN3 with Evan Weston and Cheryl Carlson calling the action. Live stats, the Stetson volleyball twitter feed, and the HatCheck text messaging service will provide live updates as well.

After Tuesday's match, the Hatters will enjoy a 10-day break before embarking on a road trip to Kennesaw State and Lipscomb.

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

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

#4 Rebecca Ingram: OH/RS; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#12 Naina Ivanova: L/S; 5' 10"; Sophomore

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

#4 Rebecca Ingram
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH/RS

#12 Naina Ivanova
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: L/S

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

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

Stetson University Athletics

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After Sizzling Start, Hatters Set to Begin Conference Play

Players Mentioned

#23 Eva Deisa

#4 Rebecca Ingram

#12 Naina Ivanova

#22 Hao Jin

#6 Chelcie Spence

Players Mentioned

#23 Eva Deisa

#4 Rebecca Ingram

#12 Naina Ivanova

#22 Hao Jin

#6 Chelcie Spence