Hatters Rise to 8th in AVCA Beach Poll

Stetson hits highest ranking since 2016

DeLand, Fla. -- Following an impressive 5-0 week that featured three Top 20 victories on the same day, the Stetson beach volleyball team climbed to 8th in the nation in this week's AVCA Beach Volleyball Coaches poll.

The Hatters (26-8) defeated Mercer at home twice on Wednesday, then toppled No. 17 FAU two times and No. 8 FIU in Boca Raton on Friday. Sunniva Helland-Hansen and Carly Perales went a perfect 5-0 for the Hatters last week at the 1 seed.

After spending the past four weeks at No. 10 in the polls, Stetson leapfrogged Long Beach State and FIU into the eighth spot. It is the team's highest ranking since finishing the 2016 season at No. 8. The Hatters have won 10 duals in a row and are tied for the NCAA-lead with 26 victories.

Since opening the season at No. 17 in the polls, Stetson has climbed nine spots, more than any other program. The Hatters have won 11 matches against Top 20 opponents including victories against Top 10 foes Long Beach State, South Carolina, and FIU.  It is also Stetson's 45th consecutive appearance in the AVCA poll.

The Hatters begins their quest for a third straight conference title this week at the ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship in DeLand. Stetson will open the tournament against the winner of the Coastal Carolina - Austin Peay match at 1 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free.

AVCA Week 8 Rankings:
1. UCLA (25 first place votes)
2. Southern California (2)
3. Florida State
4. LSU
5. Pepperdine
6. Hawai'i
7. Cal Poly
8. Stetson
9. Florida International
10. Long Beach State
11. California
12. Arizona
13. South Carolina
14. Loyola Marymount
15. Grand Canyon
16. Georgia State
17. Florida Atlantic
18. TCU
19. Saint Mary's
20. Stanford

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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